Changes
by dragonmaster567
Summary: Sonic and Shadow wake up one morning. In each other's bodies. Neither have any memory of the past three weeks and they try to figure out how this happened to them and why. Who did this to them? How will they switch back? Will contain lemons and yaoi.
1. Sonic's Morning

*** Sonic appears***

**Me: Welcome Sonic!**

**Sonic: Where am I?**

**Me: I transported you here. I'm writing a fanfic of you and Shadow.**

**Sonic: Will there be sex?**

**Me: Yep.**

**Sonic: Sigh. Oh, well. He is pretty good.**

**Me: Didn't need to know that.**

**Sonic: Too bad.**

**Me: Let's get started!**

Sonic woke up, but didn't open his eyes. He had a wonderful dream of flying and wielding the mythical chaos emeralds. He was smiling. He opened his eyes and looked around. This wasn't his room. Instead of posters of his favorite bands, he saw posters of sports teams. Sonic looked at the bed. The sheets were brown instead of blue. He quickly got up.

His body felt the same. He ran to the mirror and looked in. The face staring back wasn't his. He rubbed his eyes. The stranger's face still stared back at him. _What the hell is going on?_ he thought to himself. He glanced at the clock. It was Friday, 7:00 in the morning. He heard someone calling up the stairs.

"Shadow!" The woman called, "Get your ass out of bed! Don't make me come up there!" Sonic quietly left the room. He peeked into the other rooms. No one was there. So he was now someone named Shadow.

"I'll be down in a minute!" Sonic called. That wasn't his voice. He shuddered. What had happened?

"And don't forget to take a shower!" She called.

"Okay!" Sonic yelled back. _Do I really want to see this guy naked? I don't even know him!_ Suddenly, he got an intense urge to pee. _It was going to happen eventually, _Sonic thought to himself. He walked to the toilet and pulled down his pants. _OH MY GOD! _Sonic thought. It was much bigger than what he had. Sonic shuddered and peed. He undressed and stepped in the shower.

_Now I have to rub my hands over a stranger's body. What did I do to deserve this? _Sonic did his best to make it quick. He hopped out and went to get dressed. Shadow had a totally different style. He liked black, while Sonic usually wore a t-shirt and jeans. Sonic got dressed and ran out the door and instantly tripped and fell on his face. He groaned and sat up. _What happened? _He thought. _Oh, right. No speed._ He looked at his shoes. They had a few large holes in the bottom. He shook his head and stood up again. He started to walk, but his need to run emerged. He started going faster and faster. Suddenly, he felt himself gliding. He looked down. The holes were channeling air! He was skating!

He rounded a corner and barreled into someone. That someone groaned. Sonic stood up. He had run into a snow-white bat. _She looks familiar. Who is she?_ Sonic thought. He put his hand out.

"Shadow? What are you doing?" The bat asked.

"I'm helping you up," Sonic replied. Her eyes widened.

"You? Shadow… What's gotten into you?" She said, surprised. She picked herself up.

"Uh… nothing," Sonic said, quickly letting his arm drop.

"You barely even talk to me. Even though we are dating," she purred. She brought Sonic into an embrace and kissed him. _Crap,_ Sonic thought. _Who is she? _

The bat broke the kiss. "You know, before you got sick, you had the best nickname for me," she said. "Say it again. Slowly," she said seductively.

Sonic was panicking inside. He had no idea who this strange girl was, and had no clue what Shadow had called her before.

"It was so long ago, I can't remember," Sonic said. She pouted.

"You can't remember it? You are such a bad boyfriend. I like it." She leaned in to kiss Sonic again.

"Rouge!" someone called. The bat turned around spotted a large purple cat. So her name was Rouge. That was it! Rouge was one of the jerks from school! Shadow must be in his school. Sonic looked around. He didn't recognize that part of town so running was out of the question. He sighed. Rouge was talking with the cat so Sonic left them alone.

The bus pulled up and the trio got on. Rouge sat down and Sonic sat next to her. He didn't recognize anyone on the bus so Rouge was his only choice.

"So tell me, Shadow, what _were_ you doing?" Rouge asked.

"Huh?" Sonic grunted.

"I mean, you never get sick. Why were you out for two whole weeks?" Rouge needled. Sonic stopped to think a moment. He had memories of being Sonic, but he couldn't remember anything after three weeks ago.

"I'm not sure," Sonic responded. "I can't remember anything after three weeks ago."

"Liar," Rouge growled. She punched him in the arm. "Who were you with this time? Amy was bad enough. Not another one."

"I'm telling the truth, Rouge," Sonic said.

"If you won't tell me, fine. I'll find out one way or another," Rouge promised. She got up from the seat and walked to the back. Sonic was left thinking. Amy used to be his stalker. Since when did she like someone like Shadow? The bus pulled up and Sonic got out. He walked over to the main office. He cleared his throat and got the secretary's attention.

"Um, I'm still a little foggy from being out so long, so I don't remember by schedule. Can I have a copy?" Sonic asked.

"Name?" The secretary asked.

"Son…" Sonic caught himself just in time. "Shadow."

"One minute." She went through the computer. A sheet soon printed out. She handed it over. "There you are." Sonic grabbed the sheet and rushed out.

He looked down at the schedule. First, he had English, second was Basic Chemistry, third was Geometry, fourth was lunch, fifth was History, sixth was gym, seventh was woods, and eighth was cooking. _This looks too easy, _Sonic thought. He glanced to the corner of the paper. Shadow's locker number and combination were there. Sonic walked over and opened it. A cascade of papers, textbooks, and binders poured out on top of him. He yelled and crumpled to the ground. He sighed. This would be a long day.

Sonic finally cleaned up the mess and organized the locker. He stood up and looked behind him. A blue blur whizzed past. _That was my body! _Sonic skated off towards the blur. They both rounded a corner and Sonic lost sight of himself.

"Damn it," Sonic said. He walked back to the locker and picked up his books for English. The warning bell for homeroom rang and he walked off towards Shadow's homeroom.

**Sonic: Not bad. It was really strange in Shadow's body. When will he get involved?**

**Me: Very soon. The next chapter will be his morning.**

**Sonic: Do I get to watch him suffer?**

**Me: A little. **

**Sonic: Write it up! I want to laugh at him.**

**Me: Just be patient.**

**REVIEW!**


	2. Shadow's Morning

***Shadow appears***

**Me: Welcome Shadow!**

**Sonic: Nice to see you Shadow-kun.**

**Shadow: I've missed you, Sonikku.**

***They kiss and I roll my eyes***

**Me: Go get a room. Actually, wait until the end of this chapter.**

**Sonic: Hurry up, will ya?**

**Me: I'll try.**

* * *

><p>Shadow woke up. He slowly opened his eyes, expecting to see his sports posters, but saw Owl City posters, one for Linkin Park, and another for Katy Perry. The room wasn't his. "Very funny!" Shadow called. "What did you do to my room, Rouge?" Rouge was Shadow's girlfriend and loved to pull pranks. Shadow thought this was just one of them. A strange woman opened the door.<p>

"Nothing, sweetie. It's almost time to come downstairs. I made waffles in honor of your return from camp," she said.

"Who are you?" Shadow asked.

"I'm your mother, silly! Now get dressed. You have school in an hour." She left the room and left a very confused Shadow sitting on the bed. He got up and went to the mirror.

_What the hell…_ Shadow saw a different face. He ran his hand down the face to see if it would go back to normal. It didn't. He stepped back and almost tripped over a pile of clothes. He caught himself on the bed and walked over to the dresser. Whoever he was, he had a very strange style. He pulled out the first shirt. It was bright orange with white stripes. He rummaged through the drawer.

No black. He just shrugged and put on the shirt and pulled on a pair of jeans. He went downstairs.

"Morning, Sonic! Eat the waffles while they're hot!" Sonic's mother said. She brought over one and drowned it in syrup. Shadow was starving. He gobbled up one and quickly downed another. Sonic's mother handed him a lunch box. "The bus will be here in a few. You better get to the stop. Have a good day!" She kissed him on the forehead and dashed upstairs.

_What the hell happened to me? _Shadow wondered. He grabbed the backpack and lunchbox and ran outside. Shadow walked to the end of the street. A group of other kids had already gathered there. Shadow shook his head. If he kept quiet, maybe he wouldn't be noticed. That hope vanished when a yellow fox screamed.

"Sonic!" He yelled. The fox rushed over and tackled Sonic to the ground. "How are ya? Where have you been? Did camp wear you out? Did you get hurt?" the fox said rapidly. He gasped suddenly. "Did Eggman come to harass you again? Did you beat him? How were the other kids? Were they nice? Did they treat you well?" Shadow quickly cut him off.

"I'm fine. Now get off me," Shadow said gruffly.

"Well someone's cranky this morning," a female voice said. Shadow turned his head. A pink hedgehog had walked up.

"I'm not cranky," Shadow said defensively.

"Yes you are. You never snap at Tails like that," she said. Shadow looked up. Tails looked hurt. He slowly got off and walked back to the corner with his two tails drooping. Shadow picked himself up and dusted himself off. "I mean, honestly, what's gotten into you?"

"Nothing. I'm fine," Shadow said shortly. He stalked off to the bus stop. The annoying girl kept talking at him, but he did his best to ignore her. The bus arrived and they all got on. Shadow tried to find a seat so he could be alone, but she kept talking. He was silent on the bus, mostly wondering what he did to deserve this hell. When the bus pulled up to the school, he dashed off and went to find Rouge. She might understand what was going on.

He ran through the halls, and was surprised by the speed this guy had. He figured he could run to New York and back in less than an hour. As he rushed by a hallway, he noticed a blur of red and black. He skidded to a stop.

_I'm red and black! Some asshole is in my body!_ Shadow ran back to the hallway. He scanned it up and down. No one was there. "Goddamn it!" Shadow yelled.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Fast enough for you?<strong>

**Sonic: Not even close. **

**Shadow: I will admit, it was interesting in your body.**

**Me: Get used to it. It might take a while to switch back.**

**Sonic: Fine. **

**Shadow: Come on, Sonic. Let's find a nearby bedroom.**

***They walk away***

**Me: I guess that's it!**

**REVIEW!**


	3. Shadow in School

**Me: Well, here we go. Shadow's morning in Sonic's body.**

**Shadow: It might take a while. Sonic's pretty worn out from last night.**

**Sonic: Uhn.**

**Me: Tough it out, you two.**

**Shadow: Have you ever been fucked for three straight hours?**

**Me: No.**

**Shadow: Then you have no idea what he feels like.**

**Me: Okay then. I'll try to take it slow.**

* * *

><p>Shadow heard the warning bell and watched as everyone else rushed to his or her respective homerooms. <em>Wonder where Sonic's is. Oh, well.<em> He wandered around the halls. The second bell rang. Shadow ignored it and continued to walk around. After a few more minutes, he rounded the corner. A teacher spotted him.

"Sonic! What are you doing out of class?" he asked.

"Just hanging around. Something wrong with that?" Shadow asked slyly.

"Yes, there is! Go to the principal's office at once!" Shadow shrugged and walked towards the principal's office. He sat down on the uncomfortable tan chair and waited. After a few minutes, a secretary opened the door.

"He will see you now." Shadow walked in and sat down. The principal was sitting behind his desk, his chubby hands folded together. He was rather short, and not very imposing.

"So, Sonic. What happened this morning? I was told you weren't in homeroom," he said.

"Nope. I wasn't," Shadow responded.

"Do you have an explanation for me?" he inquired.

"I just wanted to wander around."

"So no reason whatsoever?"

"Nope"

"Fine. I have no choice but to assign you one week of detention. Two hours, after school, every day this week," the principal said.

"Fine with me." Shadow stood up.

"Go to class," the principal said, waving a hand to dismiss him. Shadow walked out the door. _Crap. Where is my class?_ Shadow thought. He walked over to the secretary.

"Got an extra copy of my schedule?" The secretary looked up and printed Sonic's schedule. Shadow grabbed it and took off. He looked down. First was Pre-Calculus, second was Engineering II, third was gym, fourth was lunch… _That's my lunch period!_ Shadow thought. He kept going. Fifth was AP U.S. History, sixth was Statistics, seventh was AP Biology, and eighth was Spanish IV.

'Crap. Why do I have to be in a genius' body?' Shadow thought bitterly. He walked to Sonic's locker and grabbed the giant Pre-Calculus book, calculator, and notebook. 'Hope Sonic doesn't have any tests today.' Shadow thought. He stalked off towards the classroom.

He walked in and was greeted by the beaming teacher.

"Welcome back Sonic!" she said. "How was camp?"

"It was fine," Shadow growled. He walked over to an empty desk and sat down. The bell rang and the teacher began class. She started to talk about reduced row echelon form. Shadow looked up. The teacher was busy writing on the board. He put his head down and fell asleep.

* * *

><p><em>He was in a laboratory. He was strapped down, with some sort of mesh on his head. Shadow looked down. He was back in his own body! He scanned the room. There were beakers and flasks filled with various liquids. Suddenly, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He turned. That blue hedgehog was strapped down too! Shadow tried to wiggle free of the bonds, but it was no use. The door at the end of the room slowly opened. A bright, white light poured out. Shadow screamed. Why am I so scared? Shadow thought. The light was too bright. Shadow closed his eyes.<em>

* * *

><p>"Sonic!" the math teacher yelled. Shadow jumped in his seat.<p>

"Huh?" Shadow grunted.

"You fell asleep. Are you okay?" she inquired. "Do you need to go to the nurse?"

"No, I'm fine. Just tired after camp," Shadow said.

"If you say so," she said. She went back to the board.

_What was that? Was that a memory?_ Shadow wondered. The teacher went on with the lesson and Shadow kept thinking about his strange dream. The bell rang and Shadow got up and walked off to Engineering. He avoided crowded hallways. He did not want another encounter with Tails or Amy.

He kept scanning the halls for any hint of black and red. But nothing surfaced. He walked into the room and spotted Rouge in the corner. 'What is she doing here?' Shadow thought. He rushed over.

"Rouge! It's me! It's…" Shadow trailed off.

"Who are you?" Rouge asked. Shadow realized she wouldn't understand.

"Never mind. It's not important." He walked away, trying to figure out how to find his body. He busied himself gluing random bits of wood together. The teacher looked over once in a while to check his progress. The bell finally rang and he rushed off to gym.

"Finally. Something I can do!" Shadow said to himself. The locker room was deserted. He walked to his old locker and opened it. He pulled out the shorts and shirt and sniffed them. They weren't that bad. He pulled off the pants and shirt. He turned and saw a mirror. He walked up to it.

_Wow. This guy is pretty sexy._ Shadow thought. _Wait. Did I just think he looks sexy?_ He shook his head. He went back and put on the familiar black T-shirt and shorts. He walked out of the locker room. Suddenly, he was tackled.

"Oof," Shadow grunted. A red form had him pinned to the ground. Shadow looked up. It was Knuckles. Everyone knew who Knuckles was. He had serious anger issues, had fists of steel, and he was widely known to be gay.

"Hello, Sonic," Knuckles growled.

"Hi, Knucks," Shadow said. Knuckles growled.

"Do. Not. Call me that!" he yelled. Shadow cringed. He didn't want to feel Knuckles' wrath.

"Okay. Okay. I won't. Now, can you let me up?" Shadow asked coolly.

"No. You still owe me."

"For what?" Shadow asked. What could Sonic possibly owe this guy for? Knuckles leaned in close to Shadow's ear.

"For letting you get top for once." Knuckles got up, and walked away. Shadow was left wide-eyed on the gym floor. Sonic and Knuckles were together? Shadow shook his head and stood up.

What else was this guy hiding? Shadow went through the period's workout. Knuckles kept glancing over. Shadow shuddered a bit. He wasn't gay. The gym teachers soon blew their whistles and told everyone to get changed. Shadow lingered outside until everyone was in.

Shadow rushed over to his locker and quickly opened it. He did not want another encounter with Sonic's lover. He pulled down his shorts and yanked off his shirt. Suddenly, he felt a hand grab his ass. He froze.

"C'mon sexy. You look like you need a shower." Someone grabbed Shadow's arm and dragged him to the showers. Shadow looked around. No one else was in the locker room. How did they leave so fast? He was alone. With Knuckles. He gulped.

The showers were all stalls. Knuckles opened up the closest one and pushed Shadow inside. Knuckles walked in and locked the door behind him. He kissed Shadow passionately and started grinding their groins together. Shadow involuntarily moaned.

Knuckles grinned into the kiss and let his hands roam. They traced their way down Shadow's side and finally found Shadow's boxers. Shadow regained control of himself and pushed Knuckles back. They were both panting. Shadow looked at Knuckles' body. He looked really hot. Shadow saw Knuckles was completely naked. His eyes widened when he saw Knuckles' eight-inch long member.

"Feeling feisty today?" Knuckles purred. He launched himself back Shadow and kissed him again. Suddenly, Shadow's mouth opened when Knuckles thrust his tongue in. Shadow struggled to force Knuckles back, but to no avail.

Knuckles pulled Shadow's boxers down and started rubbing him. Shadow moaned louder. _Why is this so arousing?_ Shadow wondered to himself. Knuckles finally broke the kiss. He started kissing Shadow's neck and started working his way down Shadow's body. Shadow moaned at the experience. Shadow suddenly moaned louder when Knuckles started to suck Shadow's erect member.

_Pretend it's a girl. Pretend it's a girl. _Shadow thought. Knuckles kept up his pace. He dragged his tongue up and down Shadow's dick, eliciting a moan from Shadow. _Damn. He's actually better than Rogue! _Shadow thought. Knuckles sped up, his head pumping faster and faster. Shadow's hips bucked with the treatment and moaned loudly.

"Ngh. Knuckles… I'm gonna…" Shadow moaned. Knuckles suddenly stopped. Shadoe looked down questioningly. "Why did you stop?" Shadow asked. Knuckles quickly came up and mashed his lips against Shadow's. Shadow started kissing back. But he stopped. _This is so wrong! We're both guys!_

"Your turn." Knuckles growled. He brought Shadow to his knees. His face was level with Knuckles' enormous cock. Shadow gulped loudly. "Come on! You've done this before!" Knuckles said impatiently. Shadow let out a resigned sigh. _He wont let me go until he's finished with me. _Shadow thought. _I hope this goes by quickly._

Shadow licked his lips and brought his face to the pulsing member in front of him. Shadow noticed some precum leaking out at the tip. He inwardly shuddered and opened his lips. He gave a tentative lick to the end. _Fuck. This tastes good._ Shadow thought. Knuckles moaned loudly. He laced his fingers into Shadow's quills and forced him to get as much of Knuckles' member into his mouth. Shadow felt dizzy. The taste was heavenly. He couldn't quite describe. It was… musky. Shadow started repeating the motions Knuckles used on him.

Knuckles groaned with pleasure. Shadow started going faster and faster. He could feel Knuckles getting close. Suddenly, without warning, Knuckles cried out and the milky fluid shot into Shadow's mouth. He pulled back, letting his mouth fill up. He swished it around a bit. It tasted amazing. He swallowed. Knuckles brought three fingers to Shadow's mouth.

"Suck," Knuckles commanded. Shadow obeyed, with little choice in the matter. He coated the three fingers with his saliva and spit them out. "Bend over." Shadow obliged. He gulped again. What was next? He cried out when Knuckles thrust in one finger.

"Two weeks was too long. You should have at least called," Knuckles said as he thrust in a second finger. Tears started forming in Shadow's eyes. Knuckles scissored his fingers, making Shadow wider. A third finger shot in and Shadow yelled. Knuckles pulled out his fingers. Shadow felt something else by his entrance. He braced himself. He knew what was next. Knuckles thrust in quickly. Shadow yelled again.

"Good thing these stalls are sound-proof. Who knows what would happen if we were caught." Knuckles pounded Shadow mercilessly. Shadow slowly relaxed and the pain started to be replaced by pleasure. Knuckles soon brushed against Shadow's prostate. Shadow moaned loudly, getting close to his climax. Knuckles was getting close too. He reached around Shadow and started pumping his dick. Shadow groaned in intense pleasure.

"Knuckles…" Shadow moaned. "I'm close. I'm gonna…" Shadow yelled in ecstasy. His seed sprayed all over Knuckle's waiting hand. Knuckles came soon after. Knuckles brought his hand full of cum to Shadow's mouth. Shadow realized what he wanted. Shadow reluctantly licked Knuckles' hand. It tasted a little sweet and a little salty. _This actually tastes good. Maybe I could be gay._ Shadow thought. He quickly lapped up what was left. Knuckles wiped his hand on Shadow's back. He turned on the shower.

"Best to smell clean for the rest of the day. Now wash up!" Knuckles said. Shadow slowly rinsed himself clean and stepped out of the shower. "Same time tomorrow, hot stuff," Knuckles said. Knuckles turned off the water and gave Shadow a towel. Shadow dried himself off and got dressed.

He dashed out of the locker room and ran to the lunch room. He scanned the room. He didn't see his body anywhere. He sighed and felt a tap on his shoulder.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: And this is where you two meet for the first time.<strong>

**Sonic: Cliffhanger? Really?**

**Me: Yep.**

**Shadow: And what are you going to do about Rouge and Knuckles?**

**Me: We'll see.**

**REVIEW!**


	4. Sonic in School

**Me: Well, here we are. Next chapter. Let's see where Sonic's first periods lead him.**

**Sonic: Better be interesting.**

**Shadow: Better be sex. I practically got raped with Knuckles.**

**Me: I know, I know. But where could Sonic have sex?**

**Shadow: I don't know. Maybe in the bathroom.**

**Me: Probably not. Now, let me get started. Then I can get this over with.**

**Shadow: Fine.**

* * *

><p>Sonic walked into homeroom. A dozen pairs of eyes widened when he entered the room. One of them was the teacher's.<p>

"You actually showed up to homeroom," the teacher said incredulously.

"Yeah," sonic replied. He walked down an aisle and watched as the others cringed when he got near. He spotted an empty desk in the back and sat down. He pulled out his English book to see what they were reading. It was The Catcher in the Rye. Sonic smiled. It was one of his favorite books. After waiting through homeroom, and the first bell, he walked to his English class. The teacher looked up.

"My, Shadow. What inspired you to show up to class today?" she asked.

_How would Shadow respond? Think, think, think! Okay, he's a dark type of guy, kinda dumb, somewhat disrespectful… Got it! _Sonic thought. "Just laughing at your ugly face," Sonic sneered. He inwardly shuddered. That was the total opposite of himself. To his surprise, the teacher laughed.

"Take a seat, smart-ass," she said. Sonic slowly sat down. So this teacher was somehow exactly like Shadow and his friends. Don't they have some sort of filter for this riff-raff? Sonic shook his head. The bell rang and the teacher got up to start the lesson.

"Okay, class. You all finished the book, right?" she asked. The class groaned.

"It was SO boring!" one student in the back yelled.

"Well, I like it. So shut the hell up!" the teacher retorted. The class laughed. Sonic's face flushed a little. How could the teacher get away with this crap? "So what did Holden mean when he said 'I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff—I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all.'"

Sonic raised his hand. "I think what he was saying was that he wanted to stop every child from growing up. The ravine next to the cliff represents adulthood and the field of Rye represents childhood and innocence. Holden wanted to stay a child forever." Sonic looked up. The teacher's mouth was hanging open and every pair of eyes were widened at him.

_Shit _Sonic thought. _I need to think like Shadow! _After a few moments, the teacher regained her composure. "V-v-very good, Shadow. Now class, you will have an essay due on Friday. It will be about the quote I just read." She turned to Sonic. "Except you, Shadow." Sonic turned red. As the teacher droned on, Sonic was left to his thoughts.

_I really have to stay in Shadow's character. He doesn't seem too bright, seems to fit into the 'jerk' category, and could even be on drugs. I don't know. I'll have to see what happens._

The teacher talked about the book and what it meant for the rest of the period. Sonic listened attentively. The bell rang a quiet cheer came from the back. Sonic got up and walked out of the room. As he walked down the hall, he felt a gentle touch on his side. He turned. Amy was walking beside him, with her arm around him.

"Hey, Shadow," she said. "I missed you." She nuzzled her head into Sonic's neck. Sonic stiffened. Amy brought her head away. "What's the matter?" she asked

"It's nothing," Sonic lied. She planted a kiss on Sonic's lips. Sonic stiffened. _This guy is such a dick! He's cheating! I would never do that! _Amy broke the kiss.

"I should head to class." She turned away, stopped and turned her head to the side. "And don't forget our date tonight!" She walked away. _Oh, crap. How am I going to wriggle out of this?_ He shook his head and looked down at his schedule. Basic Chemistry was next. _Easy. I took AP Chem last year._ He headed off to the next classroom.

He walked into the room. It was already packed. He noticed some sophomores in the class, a few juniors and a couple seniors. He shook his head. Some people just don't understand how important school is. He took an open seat near the front. The bell rang and the teacher walked into the room.

"Okay, class!" she said enthusiastically. "Today, we're working on the gas laws. Can anyone tell me what the three laws are?"

I c_an't answer. Shadow would __**not**__ know this one._ The class was completely silent. The teacher turned to Sonic.

"Come on, Shadow! You should know this! You _are _one of my best students." Now _there _was a surprise. It took a moment for Sonic to remember the three.

"Uh… Boyle's Law is PV equals PV, Charle's Law is V over T equals V over T, and Gay-Lussac's Law is P over T equals P over T. These can all be combined to PV over T equals PV over T." Sonic looked up. The teacher was beaming.

"Very good, Shadow. Now, these three laws are also derived from the ideal gas law." She turned to the whiteboard behind her. She took out a marker. "PV equals nRT. She wrote it out on the board. Or as I like to remember it, perv nert." The class laughed. Sonic shook his head.

_This is too easy._ He leaned back in the chair and watched the class struggle through the new material. When the class finally ended, Sonic rushed out of the room. He wanted to get to Geometry class. He sped down the hall and quickly entered the room. The male teacher was at his desk.

"Welcome, Shadow! How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm…" Sonic started.

"Were you sick with a cold?"

"I'm…"

"Did you watch too much TV?"

"I'm..."

"Come on! Speak up!" Sonic laughed. The Geometry teacher was a total comic.

"I'm fine now."

"Well, that's good! We're learning about CPCTC. Which will be difficult with my PTSDADHDABC." Sonic laughed even louder. He finally stopped and took a seat with a smile on his face. The geometry teacher could have been a very successful comedian if he tried. Sonic looked up at the board. The bell rang and everyone was in his or her seats. The teacher stood up.

"Now! I want everyone to look outside!" the teacher said. Everyone turned. It looked bleak outside. Gray clouds covered the sky. The trees were bare and it looked cold. The teacher walked over to his laptop and clicked a button. The chorus of "Surfin' USA" started playing. "Doesn't that make you want to put on a bathing suit?" Sonic laughed, then covered his mouth when the rest of he class didn't join in.

The teacher shut off the song and went to the board. He started writing a new problem. Sonic suddenly felt really tired. His eyes slowly drifted shut.

* * *

><p><em>Sonic looked around. He was in a laboratory. There were monitors covering the walls. Sonic recognized that they were measuring vital signs. He looked down at his body. He was in his own body, but he was strapped to a metal table. He turned his head. A nurse was in a wheeled chair next to a monitor she was speaking into a recorder.<em>

_"Psychic experiment number twenty three. Subjects are both young male hedgehogs with similar DNA structures. Experiment to proceed within thirty minutes." She clicked off the recorder and saw Sonic staring. Sonic felt terrified. Why am I scared? Sonic thought._

_"Go to sleep, young hedgehog." She said. She got up with a syringe in her hand. She pushed the plunger and injected the contents into his IV drip. He felt tired and closed his eyes._

* * *

><p>Sonic woke up. The teacher was about two inches from his face. Sonic yelped and fell out of his seat. The class laughed and Sonic's face flushed in embarrassment. "Sorry to disturb your peaceful slumber, but we have GEOMETRY to learn!" the teacher shouted. Sonic climbed back into his seat.<p>

_What was that?_ Sonic wondered. _That didn't seem like an ordinary dream._ Sonic shook his head and looked up at the board. A student next to him rose his hand.

"I have a question," the student said.

"I'm forty-two," the teacher said without hesitation. Sonic grinned. That teacher should have a microphone instead of a marker.

The rest of the class passed by slowly. Sonic tapped his pencil impatiently. Next period was lunch. **His **lunch period. He might be able to find that body-snatcher and get his body back. When the bell finally rang, he rushed out of the room at top speed. He had to slow down when he stopped at his locker to drop off his books. He reached in for his lunch, but didn't find anything.

_Oh, right. I didn't make a lunch this morning. Great._ He closed the locker and walked to the lunch room. He instantly spotted his body. The bastard wasn't looking behind him. _Maybe I could take him down right now!_ Sonic thought. _No. I have to be civil about this._

Sonic straightened up and walked up to his body. He calmly tapped his shoulder.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: And that's it!<strong>

**Sonic: Really?**

**Me: Yep! You'll have to wait until the next chapter to see what happens.**

***Shadow groans***

**Shadow: Well, come on! Don't just stand there! Write it out now!**

**Me: When I get to it. I have a life other than writing! **

**Shadow: You shouldn't. **

**Sonic: I agree. Get on with it!**

**Me: Just be patient.**

**REVIEW!**


	5. Meeting

**Me: Well, here's the next chapter!**

**Sonic: Finally.**

**Shadow: Get on with it!**

**Me: The more impatient you are, the longer I'll wait to write.**

***Shadow and Sonic glare at me but are silent***

**Me: That's better. Here we go!**

* * *

><p>Shadow whirled around to see who had tapped him. His eyes widened in surprise, and then narrowed in hatred.<p>

"What the hell are you doing in my body?" the two yelled in unison.

"Well?" Sonic asked. Shadow lunged at his form and tackled him to the ground. Sonic fell with a thud and the two struggled for a minute. Sonic threw Shadow off and stood up. Shadow stood up too and took a good long look at, well, himself. The cafeteria had gone a little quieter. Sonic broke his defensive stance.

"We should keep this a _little _quieter," Sonic remarked. Shadow hesitantly relaxed. They both walked up to one another and glared. They noticed a white form at their side.

"What's going on?" the white hedgehog asked.

"Nothing, Silv," Sonic said. _Uh oh. Only I call him Silv._ Silver's brow furrowed in confusion. "Come on. Let's sit down and see if we can talk this out," Sonic said. Shadow grunted and walked over to an empty table. Sonic and Silver joined him.

Sonic looked at the cafeteria. Almost everyone had gone back to eating. The teacher on duty was asleep and hadn't noticed anything. Sonic turned his attention back to Silver.

"So, what's going on? Only Sonic calls me Silv. And I only know your name, Shadow," Silver said. Shadow turned to Silver.

"How can I put this so that even _you'll _understand? We switched bodies," Shadow said curtly. Silver's eyes widened.

"Really? Let me see." Silver's eyes closed in concentration. Silver was a decent psychic. He could move some items with telekinesis, and had some experience with auras. His amber eyes flashed open. He looked at the two hedgehogs at the table, his eyes shifting between the two. "Wow. You're right. Sonic is in Shadow's body and Shadow is in Sonic's body!"

"No shit, Sherlock," Shadow snapped.

"Any idea how that happened?" Silver inquired.

"Nope. Not the faintest idea. I remember being Sonic three weeks ago, and then nothing." Shadow looked at Sonic.

"Really? I can't remember anything after three weeks ago too…" Shadow said. He cradled his head in his hands, deep in thought.

"Let me see if I can help." Silver again closed his eyes. " looks like there's some sort of psychic barrier. Almost like a locked door… Do you want me to try to open it?" Silver asked.

"Go for it," Sonic said. Suddenly, a ripping pain raged across Sonic's brain. He clutched his head and screamed. He dully noticed Shadow doing the same. The pain suddenly vanished and the three boys were left panting.

"Don't **ever** do that again!" Shadow yelled. Sonic just massaged his temples. Silver raised his hands in surrender.

"Okay, okay. I won't."

"Tell me, Shadow," Sonic said, "Have you seen Knuckles yet?" Sonic asked. Shadow threw his best glare at Sonic.

"What?" Sonic asked innocently.

"He… fucking… raped me!" Shadow roared. Sonic grinned.

"C'mon. He couldn't do anything with me for three weeks. What would you expect? You were three weeks without Rouge and Amy. Are they going to do anything?" Shadow froze. How did this prick know anything about them?

"I don't know," Shadow said. "They are very unpredictable."

"Well, you can kiss them goodbye. You know I'm gay so there's no way I'd do anything with either of them. All I have to do is go out with one and make sure they see each other," Sonic said. Shadow stood up.

"Don't you **dare** do anything to either of them!" Shadow roared.

"C'mon, Shadz. Cheating on your girlfriends?" Sonic tsked. Shadow's faced flushed.

"It's not like that. They both say we're 'in an open relationship,'" Shadow responded.

"Yeah, right. Rouge would barely let me breathe and you apparently have something planned with Amy tonight." Sonic shook his head. "Sounds like you've already fucked them a few times." Shadow got even redder. Sonic leaned back, folded his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. "Besides, that won't matter. From what I can tell, you liked Knuckles and what he did to you." Sonic opened one eye.

Shadow was positively seething. His face was beet red, but from anger or embarrassment, Sonic couldn't tell. Silver looked like a deer in the headlights. His gaze rapidly shifted between the two hedgehogs. He sunk in his chair, not wanting to be a part of this.

Shadow tensed and shot up. He opened his mouth to shout, and then shut it. He opened it again, then shut it. He slowly sat back down.

"That's what I thought," Sonic said. Shadow growled.

"Not to interrupt, but you guys have more important issues. Like, how the hell you switched bodies," Silver said. The pair glanced at their white friend. Shadow took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

"Well, both of you have no memories of the past three weeks, right?" The two nodded. "So we can assume something happened then. Do either of you remember the presentation?" Silver asked. Sonic and Shadow took a moment to think.

"No. When was that?" Sonic asked.

"Uhhhh… I think it was the Monday before you guys left," Silver said.

"When did we leave?" Shadow asked. Silver scratched his head.

"I think it was that Friday." Shadow and Sonic exchanged glances. Maybe that presentation had something to do with this!

"What was it about?" Sonic asked.

"Well…" Silver scratched his head. "I don't know. I think it was about physical fitness or something. I can't really remember." Sonic turned to Shadow.

"Do you have my phone?" Sonic asked. Shadow dug in his pocket and pulled out a cell phone. Sonic snatched it out of his grasp. "Thanks." He started typing.

_Hey Tails, do you remember what the presentation was about a few weeks ago?_ Sonic typed. He sent the text. Silver leaned over.

"Who are you texting?" Silver asked.

"My buddy Tails." Sonic glanced up. A grin spread across Silver's face. Sonic ignored it. "He **never** forgets so he would definitely know." The phone buzzed. Sonic flipped it open and opened the text.

_Uh…Actually, I can't. That's gonna bug me now. I'll ask around. Maybe that will refresh my memory._

"Hm," Sonic grunted. "Tails has no idea what it was about. He never forgets! It's probably not important anyways."

"How about we work on this after school?" Silver suggested.

"That's fine with me," Shadow said. "I have enough to think about. How the hell am I supposed to go through AP History, Stats, AP Bio, and Spanish IV? I might just skip."

"I totally would too," Silver said.

"Don't," Sonic said. "We missed two weeks of school. They shouldn't expect you to do too much."

"True, but they are insanely hard," Shadow argued.

"Just go with it. There shouldn't be anything too hard," Sonic said. The bell rang. "At least you didn't take anything hard," Sonic said while standing up. "Let's all meet at my house, and when I say 'my house' I mean Sonic's house." The two nodded. They left the cafeteria and went off to class.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: That was a little difficult to write. So… much… dialogue!<strong>

**Sonic: At least we got Silver in this.**

**Shadow: Are you planning a threesome?**

**Me: I don't know. Your character won't admit he's gay… yet.**

**Sonic: Make it soon, please.**

**Me: I'll try. It depends on where this story goes.**

**REVIEW!**


	6. Sonic's House part I

**Me: Here it is! The next chapter!**

**Sonic: Finally! Took you long enough!**

**Shadow: Yeah, I thought you gave up!**

**Me: Sorry, I got writer's block. **

**Shadow: Well, you could always just write a lemon between Sonic and I.**

**Me: I could, but no. You guys practically hate each other at this point. This is supposed to be logical, not 'ooh, let's make them have sex just because I can!'**

**Sonic: You could anyways…**

**Me: Not the point. Let me write.**

* * *

><p>Sonic glanced at the clock. Three more minutes until the end of the day. It had been a breeze. History had been a joke. It was just a movie about the Holocaust. Gym was a bit depressing, he couldn't see his boyfriend. Woods was just like engineering, except that he wasn't building a machine to do something. And cooking was a breeze.<p>

Sonic glanced over at his cooking partner, Scourge. He did absolutely nothing all period. It pissed him off. Scourge was probably only there for the easy 'A.' Sonic shook his head. He looked again, only two more minutes left. He cursed time for passing so slowly. He stared at the clock. One more minute. The bell suddenly rung and Sonic bolted out.

* * *

><p>Shadow had a miserable day. AP History put him to sleep. The teacher just droned on, and on, and on, and on. Statistics made absolutely no sense. He had no idea what sigma meant, what a standard deviation was, or even what a permutation was. AP Biology was torture. He couldn't figure out what the difference was between ADP and ATP, what made up phospholipids, or what the endoplasmic reticulum did. Spanish IV was terrible too. The teacher only talked in Spanish, and Shadow couldn't figure out what she was saying. He just gave up in every class and doodled in one of Sonic's notebooks.<p>

The bell finally rang at the end of the day. He dashed out of the class room and ran towards the cooking room. Sonic was waiting outside.

"Did you enjoy your classes?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah. I **loved** learning about crap that I don't need to know," Shadow sneered. Sonic shrugged. "Why did you have to take such hard classes?"

"Because I actually **want **to succeed after high school is over. What will you do? I doubt you'll be able to get anywhere afterwards," Sonic countered.

"I actually want to go into culinary arts," Shadow admitted. Sonic's eyes widened. "Once this year got started, I fell in love with cooking. That idiot Scourge lets me do all the work and takes the easy 'A.' It pisses me off."

"I thought the same thing…" Sonic trailed off. There was something about this black hedgehog. Sonic shook his head to clear it. He noticed the halls were empty. The buses had already left. "Crap. We missed the bus." He turned to Shadow and in his best Arnold Schwarzenegger impression said "Come with me if you want to go home." Shadow stopped and started to laugh. It started out slow, but within a few seconds, he was on the ground laughing. Sonic noticed how cute Shadow looked when he laughed. He shook his head again. He was in a relationship with Knuckles! He wouldn't cheat on him.

Shadow finally stopped laughing. He wiped the tears from his eyes. _Wow. Sonic is actually funny._ He looked up. Sonic had reached out a hand to help pull him up. Suddenly, some strange feeling overcame Shadow. He felt warm and happy looking at Sonic. What was that? Shadow just smiled and took the hand.

He stood up. "How do we get to your house from here?" Shadow inquired.

"It's easy," Sonic assured him. "Just try to keep up!" Sonic dashed away. A huge grin spread over Shadow's face as he raced to catch up. Sonic had slowed down a bit to watch for Shadow. A blue blur whizzed past and stopped at the front doors of the school.

"Well? I can't lead," Shadow said. Sonic grinned and walked to the front doors.

"Just follow me." Sonic opened the doors and raced out with Shadow hot on his heels. Within five minutes, they arrived at Sonic's house. Sonic sat down on the front steps. "Okay, when we get inside, you have to say this: 'Hey, mom. I brought over a friend. We'll be doing homework together in my room. Silver will be by in a few to help us out with a project too.' Got all that?" Shadow stared for a little.

"I could have made something up…" Shadow grumbled.

"Yeah, but you don't know my mom. Unless it's schoolwork, no one gets into the house." Shadow nodded.

"But what about Tails? Did he find anything?" Shadow asked.

"I'm not sure. Maybe I could get him over too," Sonic said. "Well, let's see what she says." The pair got up and went inside. Sonic's mom was sitting on the couch, reading a book. She glanced up.

"Hey Sonic! How was school?" She inquired.

"It was fine," Shadow and Sonic said at the same time. Sonic silently cursed himself for talking. He forgot he was in Shadow's body.

"Who's your friend?" she asked.

"Oh, this is Shadow. We're working on homework together up in my room. Oh, and Tails and Silver might be over later too to help with a project," Shadow said.

"Sounds fine. But you really should have people over just because. Get out a little bit more. Get a girlfriend." Sonic reddened a bit.

"Okay, mom," Shadow said. He broke away and headed upstairs. He remembered where the room was and went inside with Sonic trailing. After the pair got inside, Shadow closed the door and turned to Sonic with an evil grin on his face.

"So she doesn't know?" Shadow inquired. Sonic reddened more. He looked down.

"No, no one in my family knows," Sonic admitted. He glared a Shadow. "You better not tell anyone."

"Me? Never." Shadow said sarcastically.

"I mean it!" Sonic growled.

_He looks so cute when he's mad,_ Shadow thought. "Okay. Fine. I promise not to tell anyone. Happy?" Sonic grinned.

"Yep." There was a soft knock on the door. Sonic walked over and opened it. Silver was waiting.

"Hey guys," Silver said.

"Silver! Come on in," Sonic said happily. Silver noticed a soft smile on Shadow's lips.

"Did I interrupt something?" Silver asked. Sonic's and Shadow's faces flushed.

"Nonono," they both said quickly.

"There's nothing going on here," Shadow said. Sonic quickly nodded his head in agreement.

"If you say so," Silver said skeptically.

"Did you find anything out about the presentation?" Sonic asked. Silver shook his head.

"No," he said, looking glum. "What about Tails? Did he find anything?"

"Oh crap! I forgot to ask him over!" Sonic turned to Shadow. "Give me my phone," Sonic commanded. Shadow folded his arms, glaring. Sonic sighed. "Please?" Shadow's face softened and he fished into his pocket for the phone. He pulled it out and gently handed it over.

Their hands brushed and Shadow's breath quickened. His pulse started to pound. The same thing happened to Sonic. They kept their reactions well hidden. "Was that so hard?" Shadow asked. Sonic mumbled, unable to speak properly, and sent a quick text to Tails inviting him over.

"Are you sure there's nothing going on?" Silver asked.

"Silver, I'm straight. I'm 17 and I'm sure everyone knows if they're gay or not at this point," Shadow said.

"Hey, I didn't know until Knuckles kissed me last year!" Sonic said. Silver and Shadow both turned to him.

"Really? Tell me the story." Shadow said. He sat down on the bed, waiting. Sonic hesitated a moment.

"Fine," Sonic sighed. "Last year, Knuckles and I started to get really close. We did everything together. He invited me camping with him. We decided to share the tent together. After his parents went to their tent, it was just us. I started to feel sleepy and used Knuckles as a pillow. I woke up later in the tent. Knuckles was kissing me. It felt absolutely incredible. Things went from there, and we've been dating ever since." Sonic looked down at the floor, slightly embarrassed.

Shadow and Silver were silent. They were both lost in thought. Sonic broke the awkward silence. "Anyways, let's get back to the problem at hand. How did we switch bodies?"

"Well, we figured out it had to do with the presentation a while back. I still can't remember who it was about," Silver said.

"We have to wait for Tails…" Shadow started to say when the door burst open. An orange and cream fox barreled into the room. He flew into Shadow and gripped him in a bear hug.

"HeySonic!Imissedyou!Howwasschool?Didanyonefightyou?Didyoudowellinclass?Whathappenedduringlunch?Whodidyoufight?" Tails said rapidly. Shadow pried the boy's arms off.

"I'm fine, Tails," Shadow said. "Now slow down a bit." Tails took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "That's better," Shadow said. "Did you find out about the presentation?"

"Actually yes," Tails said. He took off the bag he had on his shoulder and opened up his laptop. He typed a few things in and came up with a website. "It was the Grand Gem Corporation." The boys huddled around the computer screen.

"Apparently, they've been around a long time and they've been mining some precious stones in the area. Besides that, they do chemical production, robot production, they make weapons for the military, they provide a lot of the electricity to the area, and do biological research," Tails listed. "Whoever owns it must be a billionaire."

"Wow. We don't have a chance," Shadow breathed. Tails turned to look at Shadow.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Sonic and Shadow glanced at each other and nodded in unison.

"Tails, we switched bodies," Sonic said. Tails' eyes went wide.

"Really?" he gasped.

"Yes, really," Silver said. "I checked them psychically. They really switched bodies." A sheepish look came across Tails' face.

"I am so sorry, Shadow. I thought you were Sonic." Tails stared at the ground. Shadow leaned over and ruffled Tails' head.

"Don't worry about it. You didn't know," Shadow said soothingly. Tails smiled.

"What happened?" Tails asked.

"We don't know," Sonic said. "We both can't remember anything after three weeks ago. But we think it had to do with that presentation."

"Actually, I remember you two were called to the side," Tails said.

"Do you remember why?" Sonic asked. Something in Shadow snapped. He lunged for Tails, and pinned him to the wall.

"You better remember you little shit!" Shadow growled fiercely. "If I'm stuck in this body…" Sonic put a hand on Shadow's shoulder.

"Shadow," Sonic said softly. Shadow dropped Tails to the ground. Tails struggled to catch his breath. Shadow whirled around, anger in his eyes.

"What?" he exploded. Sonic didn't flinch.

"Tails is doing his best. Intimidation doesn't work well. Try to keep calm," Sonic said soothingly. Shadow took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He slowly exhaled. When he opened his eyes again, the anger had disappeared. Shadow slowly turned back to Tails. He offered his hand to help him back up.

"I'm sorry," Shadow said. "There's no excuse for what I just did." Tails took the hand and stood back up.

"It's okay. I forgive you," Tails said. He hugged Shadow. Shadow stiffened for a second, then relaxed a bit. He gave Tails a tentative pat on the back. Tails held on.

"Uh… Tails?" Shadow said. "You can let go now."

"Oh! I'm sorry," Tails said. Sonic snickered. "What?" Tails questioned.

"Oh, nothing, nothing," Sonic said smiling.

"Whatever," Shadow said. "Anyways, about this Corporation. Where is it located?"

"Uhh…" Tails went back to his overturned laptop. He went back to the website. "It's actually only ten miles from here. It's in the middle of the forest. Probably for extra security."

"What was the name again?" Sonic asked.

"Grand Gem Corporation," Tails said.

"Something seems fishy about that name," Silver said.

"That's going to bother me," Shadow said. Sonic scratched his head. Everyone was deep in thought for a moment. Suddenly, Silver broke the silence.

"Does anyone know how to do anagrams, or at least what one is?" he asked. Everyone else shook their heads. "It's when you mix up letters to make a new word. For instance, 'stone age' can become 'stage one.'" They laughed a little at that. Silver turned to Sonic. "Do you have Scrabble?" Sonic pointed. Silver opened the box and pulled out the tiles.

He spelled out Grand Gems on the ground. "Anyone got any ideas?" Silver asked. He mixed up the tiles. "Let's see…" Sonic knelt down. He spelt out 'German.'

"No, that's not it," Silver said. "That only leaves the 'g' and 'd.'" Sonic mixed the letters again. Shadow bent over and spelled 'Manger.' He shook his head and mixed them up again. He started to just push them around. Suddenly, he stopped.

"Guys," he said softly. They all crowded around and looked down.' "No. It's not possible," Sonic breathed.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: End of the chapter!<strong>

**Sonic: What! Really? What's with the anagram crap?**

**Shadow: Come on! You could at least tell us what that was about!**

**Me: Nope. The cliffhanger ending was too perfect. **

**Sonic: Come on! Tell us.**

**Me: It's not that difficult to figure out. **

**Shadow: Maybe to geniuses…**

**Me: Well, tough. Wait until the next chapter.**

**Sonic: Write it. Now.**

**Me: We'll see.**

**REVIEW!**


	7. Sonic's House part II

**Me: Here it is! The result of the cliffhanger.**

**Sonic: Finally! I thought you would NEVER get to writing this!**

**Shadow: Get going!**

**Me: Calm down, a bit, will ya? I need peace to write.**

***Shadow and Sonic scream at me***

**Me: That's not peace.**

***silence***

**Me: Better.**

* * *

><p>The boys looked down at what had been spelled out. 'Grand Gem' had been transformed into 'Dr. Eggman.'<p>

"Son of a bitch…" Sonic whispered. He shook his head. "I should have known." Shadow stared blankly at the name that had been spelled out.

"No wonder he's never out of money," Silver said. The group stared at the tiles and slowly sat back. "How do we go up against him?" Silver wondered aloud.

"Easy!" Sonic shouted. He folded his hands behind his head and relaxed against the bed. "I've done it countless times already. It's always a piece of cake."

"Yeah, but this time, this is his home base. His security will be much more difficult to bypass than ever," Tails pointed out. Sonic opened his mouth. "We're going to have to be secretive this time." Sonic closed his mouth and nodded.

"So, when can we start?" Shadow asked.

"What?" Silver asked, confused.

"Start scoping it out. Check out the security, get an idea of what Eggman's been doing," Shadow stated.

"It's not that easy," Tails said. "He's in the middle of the forest. He didn't choose that for the scenery. He chose it because it's easier to keep an eye on who comes and goes. We don't know what he has planted around the perimeter. It could be bombs, trip wires, pitfalls, we just don't know." Sonic inspected his shoes. "He could also have dozens of his robots patrolling the area too. We could be walking directly into his grasp."

"We could at least get within a mile. See what we can see," Shadow suggested.

"Not a bad idea, but we don't have that time during the week. Let's wait until the weekend," Tails replied.

"Only problem with that is, I'm stuck in a genius' body," Shadow said. "I can't do all of that AP crap."

"Did you get any papers?" Sonic asked.

"No," Shadow replied. "They didn't give me any or call me up." Sonic narrowed his eyes in frustration.

"You're _supposed_ to go up and ask to see what you missed. It's standard practice in my classes," Sonic said loudly. Shadow jumped to his feet.

"Well, I'm not _in_ your smarty-ass classes!" Shadow sneered. Sonic jumped up, facing Shadow.

"No one asked you to be in them!" Sonic half-shouted.

"Well, I never wanted to be in them in the first place!" Shadow retorted. Tails and Silver's gaze flickered between the arguing teens.

"Well good! No one would want to deal with you anyways!" Sonic yelled.

"No one wants to bother with you either, fag!" Shadow screamed. That cut Sonic right to the core. He withered and quietly lay down on his bed. Shadow instantly regretted what he said. Silver and Tails exchanged glances and silently agreed to stay silent. This wasn't their problem.

"Hey, I'm sorry," Shadow said. He gently put his hand on Sonic's side. Sonic swatted it away.

"Don't fucking touch me!" he shouted. Shadow felt awful. He struggled to find the words to say.

"Sonic…" Sonic didn't flinch. "I'm really sorry. I really shouldn't be cruel to you. You've been nothing but kind to me, and I just ruined that. I'm sorry." On an impulse, Shadow went and hugged his friend's shivering form. The contact shocked Sonic slightly. He didn't expect Shadow to show any other emotion other than anger. He twisted a little and returned the hug. After a few moments, they broke apart, inches separating their faces. Shadow looked into his own ruby red eyes. He looked up and down, inspecting his face.

"God, I look ugly," Shadow said. Sonic laughed.

"Not as ugly as I look," Sonic replied. They both laughed. They turned to face their friends. Both Tails and Silver looked beyond confused.

"What?" asked Shadow.

"Is… there something going on between you two?" Silver asked. Sonic and Shadow instantly split apart like the other was poison.

"No! Of course not!" Sonic said quickly.

"I'm straight!" Shadow said loudly. "I'm also in a relationship…"

"Two. Relationships," Sonic pointed out. "And I'm in one too."

Silver raised his hands in surrender. "I was just asking. Jeez."

Shadow stole a glance at Sonic. He looked confused. What could be going on in his mind? Shadow couldn't figure out what he was feeling. There was something strange about Sonic. Something he couldn't quite put his finger on. He shrugged it off. Or at least tried to. That something was tugging at his mind. He rubbed his temples, trying to get rid of that strange feeling.

"Hey Shadow? Are you all right?" Sonic asked in a worried tone. Shadow snapped back to reality.

"Huh? Yeah. I'm fine," Shadow said quietly. Sonic raised one eyebrow. "I'm _fine_," Shadow said strongly. Sonic shrugged and turned back to Silver and Tails.

"Okay, so Saturday morning, around… let's say 8:00, we all come here and head off to investigate Eggman's base. Sound good?" Sonic said. The boys nodded in agreement. "Great!" Sonic clapped his hands together.

"But what am I supposed to do while we wait?" Shadow complained. "I can't do your schedule, Sonic."

"Yes, yes. I heard you the first time," Sonic said impatiently. He ran a hand down his face in frustration. "Just fake it. Say… that you lost too much time so you don't understand and are busy after school so you can't stay after for extra help. Just get what I missed so I can read it over. Is that okay?" Shadow shrugged.

"It should be okay. I'll try to take notes," Shadow said.

"Try?" Sonic said incredulously. Shadow held up his hands in surrender.

"Okay, okay," Shadow said. "I _will _take good notes," Shadow promised.

"Good." Sonic said. There was a brief, awkward silence. None of the boys knew what to say. Suddenly, Shadow shot up.

"Shit! I almost forgot about Amy!" he shouted. Tails looked at Shadow questioningly.

"I made a date with Amy a few weeks ago." He swung around to glare at Sonic. "You _better_ be there. She would kill me if I missed our date." Sonic shrugged.

"I wouldn't even know where to start. She was my stalker for the longest time. If she realizes…"

"But she won't," Shadow said firmly. "She does all of the talking. Just nod occasionally and act sympathetic. Works like a charm."

"If you say so. But I don't want to have sex with her. No way." Sonic crossed his arms.

"Fine. If she insists, tell her that… you're not in the mood."

"Okay. I'll go through with it. What time are we supposed to meet and where?" Sonic asked.

"Uhh… shit. I can't remember." Shadow put his arm out. "Give me my phone." Sonic dug in his pocket and brought out a cell phone. Shadow grabbed it and sent a text to Amy, asking about their date. Shadow looked over at Tails and Silver and noticed that Tails was blushing and giggling at something Silver had said. He raised an eyebrow, but Tails didn't notice. He was focused on Silver. Shadow leaned over to Sonic.

"Is… are they… I mean…" Shadow whispered.

"Not sure about Silver, but I know Tails likes him," Sonic whispered back. "He confided in me a few weeks ago." Sonic's gaze whipped to the pair on the floor and noticed Silver had a huge grin on his face. "Hmm. I'll keep an eye on them for now." Shadow's phone buzzed. Shadow whipped it open.

_Shadow, you are hopeless. We're meeting at Friendly's at 5 and the movie theater later for the show at 7. We're seeing Think Like a Man. And then my place. Sound familiar?_ Sonic read the text over Shadow's shoulder.

"Wow. That's such a cliché date. You could at _least_ think of something other than dinner and a movie. Be creative! Go to an arcade, walk around in the park! Something different!" Sonic commented.

"It was _her _idea. If I had my way, we would do those things. But, she loves her chick flicks. I can't get around that," Shadow replied. A grin flashed across Sonic's mouth and an eyebrow rose.

"So who's wearing the pants in your relationship?" Sonic teased. Shadow's face darkened in anger. He sputtered for a minute, trying to find words. Sonic laughed. Shadow tried to find something to say to yell at him, but something about the way Sonic's face crinkled when he laughed softened Shadow's anger.

His anger slowly faded, replaced by laughter. After he calmed down, his gaze drifted to Sonic. Some feeling welled up inside of him. It was something powerful. Something he had never felt before. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. But his thoughts drifted to Sonic. What was it? He snapped back to reality when Sonic waved his hand in front of Shadow's face.

"Are you okay?" Sonic asked.

"I'm fine. Just… distracted is all." Sonic shrugged and turned to Tails and Silver, who were now both blushing.

"What about you two?" Shadow asked. Tails and Silver instantly turned their attention to Shadow. They slowly inched closer. "Is there something going on?" Tails and Silver looked at each other.

"I… I'm not sure," Tails said after a while.

"I'm sure," Silver said strongly. He sprang on top of Tails and kissed him. Tails was shocked at first, but kissed back passionately very quickly. Shadow surprised himself. Instead of being repulsed, he thought it was cute.

Tails and Silver broke apart. "Wow," Tails breathed. Silver just nodded and went back for more. Sonic loudly cleared his throat.

"Not to put a damper on this adorable relationship, but I don't want anything happening right now. My mom is home, and we're still in the room. Wait until later." The couple reluctantly separated. Tails gave a quick peck to Silver's cheek. Silver turned his head to face Tails and smiled. A small smile spread across Tails' face. They reached for each other and clasped their hands together.

_They look adorable. _Shadow thought. _And they're both guys! How come I'm not shocked or disgusted?_ He wondered. He shook his head. Suddenly, he remembered his date with Amy. "Shit," he whispered.

"What is it?" Sonic asked.

"The date with Amy. I… I mean you need to get ready," Shadow said. Sonic exhaled into his hand and sniffed it. He lifted his arms to look for any sweat stains. He looked up at Shadow.

"I'm good," Sonic said with a grin. Shadow rolled his eyes.

"You need to do more than that!" Shadow exclaimed. He grabbed Sonic's hand. Suddenly, he felt his stomach flip. "We're going to my place. I'll be able to fix you up right." He faced Tails and Silver. "Sorry, but we have to go." He dashed out of the room and bounded down the stairs. "Bye, mom!" He called, trying to keep up the charade. The pair dashed out of the house and raced down the sidewalk.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: There's the end!<strong>

**Sonic: What about the date?**

**Shadow: And getting ready?**

**Me: That's going in the next chapter.**

**Sonic: But I wanted to see what was going to happen!**

**Me: I know. But this was starting to get long. **

**Sonic: It's not that long!**

**Me: But it's more fun to watch you squirm and wait.**

**Shadow: Hmmph. Start writing!**

**Me: Be patient.**

**REVIEW!**


	8. The Date

**Me: And here's the next chapter!**

**Sonic: Get on with it! Start the romance with me and Shadz!**

**Shadow: Yeah. I'm so far from my Sonniku!**

***They cuddle and I roll my eyes***

**Me: Okay, I'll start up.**

* * *

><p>Shadow looked at the houses passing by. They weren't very familiar. He realized he still had Sonic's hand in his. He blushed a little, but held on. Shadow suddenly saw a supermarket on the road ahead of him. He smiled. He was almost home. He dashed down the streets and finally arrived at his house.<p>

It was a little run-down. Some of the brown roofing shingles were missing, and the blue paint was starting to flake off the front door. Shadow heard snoring coming from the window above the door. He tuned to Sonic.

"Now, it's your turn. My mom's in the bedroom sleeping, so we have to be _very_ quiet. There are certain steps and spots on the floor we can't step on. Follow my footsteps exactly." Sonic nodded. Shadow turned to the door and walked up the steps. He cautiously opened the door and stepped inside.

He surveyed the messy living room the door opened to. Beer cans were littered about the stained couch. The ancient TV was flickering. Shadow ignored it and walked to the stairs. He skipped the first two and hauled himself up. He glanced back to watch Sonic follow. Shadow slowly made his way up the stairs, avoided each creaky section, and finally entered his room. Suddenly, a loud creak echoed down the hallway.

Shadow stiffened. He listened closely. The snores were still loud. Shadow looked at where Sonic was standing. Sonic was standing right in the middle of the worst section of the hallway. If he stepped anywhere, the floor would creak. He held up his arm to stop Sonic. He wracked his brain for a solution. If his mom heard, there would be hell to pay for disturbing her. He looked at Sonic. He got an idea.

"Don't move," Shadow whispered. "I have an idea to get you out of there. Just go with it." Sonic slowly nodded. Shadow got as close as he could and gently picked Sonic up. He carried him bridal-style to the bedroom. He looked down. Their faces were inches apart. It wouldn't be too hard to close the gap. Shadow shook his sudden urge and placed Sonic on the bed. He turned and locked the door. He glanced over to Sonic, who was in a seductive pose.

"What do you plan to do to me?" Sonic purred. "Are you going to be naughty?" Shadow felt a bulge form in his pants.

"Nononono," Shadow whispered hastily. "I'm just here to fix you up for Amy." He turned away and willed his boner to go away. He walked over to his closet and opened it up. He searched through the racks and pulled out some clothes. He checked to make sure a bulge wasn't showing.

He turned around and offered the clothes to Sonic. His eyes widened slightly when he saw Sonic had stripped down to his boxers. He felt his erection returning and did his best to hide it. Sonic didn't seem to notice.

"What is this crap?" Sonic asked.

"This is what Amy likes on me." Shadow pulled two shirts off of their hangers. One was a black undershirt and the other was a gray and cream plaid button down. Sonic put them on, and started to button up the shirt. "Leave it open," Shadow said. "It looks better that way." Sonic just shrugged. Shadow pulled out a pair of skinny jeans from his dresser. Sonic reluctantly pulled the pants on. He buttoned them.

"Damn it. I hate skinny jeans. They feel too restrictive." Sonic pulled at his crotch, trying to loosen up. Shadow suddenly realized he was staring at Sonic's crotch. He shook his head, but looked up and down, making sure Sonic looked right. He nodded in approval.

"Perfect," Shadow said. "Let's head over to Friendly's. I'll sit at a nearby table so I can keep an eye on you. I don't want you to screw up my relationship." Sonic shrugged.

"No promises," Sonic teased. Shadow narrowed his eyes.

"You better be good," Shadow hissed. Sonic struck a seductive pose.

"Oh, trust me," Sonic said with a wink. "I am." Shadow rolled his eyes but smiled anyways.

"Let's get going." Shadow opened the door, only to be greeted by his mother with her hands on her hips. She glared at Sonic.

"Shadow, who the fuck is this?" she asked loudly. Shadow cleared his throat.

"Sorry to disturb you, ma'am. My name is Sonic." He motioned to Shadow. "Shadow just invited me over to help him out for his date with Amy tonight." Her eyebrow rose.

"You better not be fucking with me, Sonic," she said icily. She stalked away. Sonic let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"You, my friend, have one angry mother," Sonic said. Shadow shrugged.

"She's all I have. I have to put up with her," Shadow said dismissively. They walked out of the house and onto the street.

"Let's go!" Sonic shouted. He sped off towards an intersection. Shadow whistled loudly, and Sonic skidded to a halt.

"Oy!" Shadow shouted. "Pea-brains! Friendly's is the other way!" Shadow smiled. Sonic was so impulsive. It was kind of funny and cute. Sonic ran back. Shadow sped off towards the Friendly's with Sonic in hot pursuit. Shadow loved the feeling of racing. He glanced over. Sonic seemed to enjoy it as much, if not more than Shadow.

Shadow noticed the sign for Friendly's and raced to the entrance. He skidded to a stop. Sonic wheeled his arms around to try to stop himself, but failed. He slammed into Shadow and the pair tumbled to the ground in a heap. They both laughed and Sonic noticed how close they were once more. He briefly thought about kissing him, but dismissed the idea.

They untangled themselves and dusted off their clothes. Shadow checked his watch. "It's almost five. I'm going to head in and get a table for myself. When Amy comes by, pick a table next to mine," Shadow said.

"Fine by me," Sonic said. "I would rather skip the date, but you would probably kill me. And lose your fantastic body forever," Sonic said with a wink. Shadow blushed a little. He quickly headed inside, leaving Sonic alone.

_Damn._Sonic thought. _He's so adorable._Sonic smiled and shook his head. He felt a tap on his shoulder and spun around. Amy was already there. She squealed.

"Oh my god, Shadow! You look adorable! I want to just eat you up!" She hooked her arms around Sonic's neck and kissed him. "I've missed you." She said. Sonic froze. He didn't know what to do. He hated Amy. He couldn't connect with her. He gulped.

"I… missed you too… babe," Sonic said hesitantly. Amy's face lit up.

"Awww!" She squealed. "You've never called me 'babe' before! It's so cute!" She pecked him on the cheek. "Let's go get a table." Amy grabbed Sonic's hand and led him inside. Sonic took the lead and spotted Shadow in a central table. Sonic looked for the closest table and lead Amy to a booth. He slid in to his seat and Amy sat opposite. Sonic glanced over to Shadow, who gave a slight nod. Sonic turned his attention back to Amy.

She started jabbering away. She started talking about how much she hated school and the drama she was having with her friends. Sonic just smiled and nodded. His mind, however, wasn't on her or her annoying problems. It was on Shadow.

_I only met him today, and we were enemies at first. But… something about him makes me feel… happy._Sonic gave a small smile. _I don't know what it is, but he makes me act so stupid. I couldn't like him. Could I? It can't start this fast._ At the same time, Shadow was thinking of Sonic.

_How could this guy make me feel this way?_Shadow thought. _I get… giddy touching him and being close to him. But I can't be gay. Could I?_Shadow shook his head. _Knuckles was rough. Really rough. But somehow, it felt good and right. I didn't have any problems getting aroused. Not like with Amy or Rouge. It takes a lot to get me going._Shadow rubbed his temples. _How could I have liked that?_ He wondered. He glanced over at Sonic and his stomach flipped.

_I couldn't have developed feelings that fast. And for a guy! No. This isn't right. I have to be straight!_ Shadow told himself. The waitress came over to take Shadow's order. He looked at the menu and picked out a hamburger and a coke. He vaguely heard Sonic order a sandwich and Amy order a salad.

The waitress left to fill out the orders and Amy went back to talking. After less than ten minutes, Shadow glanced over at Sonic. He seemed bored out of his mind. Amy noticed it too.

"Am I boring you?" Amy sneered.

"No, no," Sonic said. He didn't want to disappoint Shadow. "I'm just a little tired, that's all." Amy glared.

"Liar. You're never tired. Unless… did you fuck Rouge?" Amy demanded.

"No," Sonic said strongly. "I only saw her at the bus stop this morning."

"Is that some code for her bedroom?" Amy said angrily. "We're done, Shadow!" She threw down her napkin and stormed out. Sonic stared wide-eyed and looked over at Shadow.

"What the hell just happened?" he asked.

"Just give her some time." He held up three fingers. "Three… two… one." Nothing happened. Sonic opened his mouth. "Wait for it," Shadow said, holding up a finger. The door opened and Amy walked back in. She sat back down opposite Sonic.

"I'm sorry, Shadow," she said. "I shouldn't doubt you. You are faithful to me, right?" Sonic nodded vigorously. "Good." She leaned in for a kiss and Sonic had no choice but to kiss her. She pulled back, a puzzled look on her face.

"That's funny. There's something off with you, Shadow. What's wrong?" Amy asked.

"It's nothing," Sonic lied. "It's just been a long day."

"If you say so," Amy said hesitantly. Suddenly, she went back to talking about her drama. Sonic just listened and wondered why Shadow put up with her. The waitress came by with their orders. Shadow looked at the burger, suddenly realizing how hungry he was. He bit into it, enjoying the flavor. Sonic ate his dinner like he had never seen food before. Amy poked at her salad, and seemed disinterested in it. After a half an hour, Sonic's mind started to wander.

_She is so annoying and is seems prone to violent mood swings. Why bother with her?_Sonic thought. _And what about Rouge? She's better, but she's too… dark and too much of a druggie. She doesn't deserve him. Neither of them deserves him._ Sonic stole a glance at Shadow. _He turned out to be something totally different than what I expected. I hope he finds the right one._

Shadow had finished his burger and looked over at Sonic. _Why do I put up with Amy anyways? She's always focused on drama and her mood swings are pissing me off. If I were gay, I wouldn't have to put up with that… What am I thinking! I can't be gay!_Shadow told himself. He glanced at Sonic again. _But what do I feel when I'm around Sonic? It's different than Rouge or Amy. It's more… powerful. I can't just like him._Shadow could hear Amy talking about her drama.

_Amy is really starting to grate on my nerves!_ Shadow thought. _It's always 'she did this, he did that, my parents suck…' I don't care!_Shadow shook his head. _She's not the one for me. But how can I break up with her when I'm not in my own body?_Shadow wondered. His imagination took hold and he saw himself walk over and say hi to Sonic. He saw himself kiss Sonic, but instantly jolted out of his daydream. _No. Bad idea. She would tell the whole school. What can I do?_ He got an idea and stood up. He walked over to the men's room entrance and waved at Sonic to come in. Sonic saw him and excused himself. They went inside.

"How can you put up with her?" Sonic asked incredulously.

"I just asked that same question myself," Shadow said with a sigh. He looked up at Sonic. "Can you break up with her? I can't do it myself." Sonic laughed.

"Sure, buddy. I would do anything for you." Sonic realized that it was true. He _would_do anything for Shadow. Shadow only had to ask.

"Thanks, it means a lot to me," Shadow replied with a smile. He suddenly found himself hugging Sonic. Sonic was slightly surprised but hugged back. They broke apart. "Now go break up with my girlfriend."

"That sounds really strange," Sonic laughed.

"I know," Shadow replied with a grin. Shadow walked out of the bathroom. Sonic waited for a moment and walked out. He sat down opposite Amy, who was sipping at her drink.

"Amy, we need to talk," Sonic said.

"I know," she said.

"You do?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah, I'm the one talking. I haven't heard anything about you!" She said enthusiastically. Sonic shook his head.

"That's not what I meant. Amy," Sonic looked her in the eyes. "We need to break up." Amy smiled.

"You're such a joker," she laughed.

"I mean it, Amy," Sonic said strongly. "We're not right for each other. The sex was pretty good…"

"Who are you kidding?" Amy said sadly, stirring her drink. "The sex was terrible. It took so long to get you going."

_Hmm. That's interesting._Sonic thought. "Okay, sex was terrible and I can barely get a word in edgewise when you start. We can't do this." Amy stood up.

"Fine!" she shouted. "Go running to Rouge!" She ran out with tears in her eyes. Shadow stood up and sat opposite Sonic.

"Well that went better than I expected," Shadow said.

"That was better than expected?" Sonic asked.

"I expected that she would slap you." Sonic laughed.

"Ooooh. I'm so scared of her slap," Sonic teased. Shadow laughed. "Well, that's finally over. Now what?" Sonic wondered aloud.

"Well, we could go to the movies. I had already bought tickets," Shadow said.

"But you bought tickets for Think Like a Man. I don't want to watch that." Sonic crossed his arms and pouted.

"They're vouchers. I get two tickets for any movie free." Sonic grinned.

"Let's go then!" Sonic grabbed Shadow's hand, but Shadow stopped him.

"We still have to pay."

"Oh," Sonic said, clearly embarrassed. He rubbed the back of his head. "Heh heh. Right." The waitress came over and they paid for dinner. Sonic and Shadow raced out of the restaurant and ran towards the movie theater. They reached the theater and stopped at the door. Shadow pulled it open.

"Ladies first," he said with a grin. Sonic curtsied and sashayed inside. Shadow laughed to himself. He followed and went into the line next to Sonic.

"What do you want to see?" Shadow asked. They both gazed up at the list of movies.

"Ummm…" Sonic mumbled. He pointed. "How about The Avengers?" Sonic offered. Shadow shrugged.

"Sure, why not." They went up to the desk to get their tickets and made their way into the theater. They picked out two seats and finally sat down. The lights dimmed and the movie started. Shadow put his arm on the armrest. Sonic glanced down.

_It would be so easy to hold his hand. Just a few inches…_ He shook his head. _No, I'm with Knuckles. But something about him feels different._He looked over at Shadow. _He acts so adorable. But I can't cheat on Knuckles._Sonic wondered what he should do, but turned his attention back to the movie. Shadow looked over.

_What am I feeling for Sonic?_Shadow thought._He's so… adorable. How could I think that for a guy? We became really good friends so quickly and I feel so strongly for him! How could I be gay? I can't love Sonic. It's so wrong! But… I can't deny I feel something for him._ Shadow went back to watching the movie, unsure of what he should do.

They enjoyed the movie, but they both kept stealing glances at each other. The movie finally ended and they left the movie theater.

"Wow. That was an awesome movie!" Sonic said loudly. "My favorite part was when Thor and Iron Man were fighting in the forest."

"No way," Shadow retorted. "My favorite part was the battle when Iron Man brought the nuke into space. He's the best superhero." Sonic snorted.

"Nah, Thor is the best superhero."

"Lies and slander! Iron Man is so much cooler!" Shadow retorted.

"Thor can fly, he can summon his hammer anytime, and he can generate battle armor," Sonic argued.

"Iron man can push a button, walk, and his armor will be put on or taken off for him. He can fly, he can shoot missiles, and has an energy blast from his hands," Shadow said loudly. Sonic narrowed his eyes in anger.

"Thor is so much hotter than Tony Stark could ever hope to be," Sonic said angrily.

"But Tony has his pick of any woman he wants. Thor is stuck on Asgard." Shadow brought his face closer to Sonic's.

"Thor could be with anyone, anytime. Tony has to worry about security all the time!" Sonic said.

"Tony is his own security!" Shadow exclaimed. Shadow was inches away from Sonic's face. "Thor can…" Shadow was cut off when Sonic unexpectedly kissed him.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: And there you have it!<strong>

**Sonic: That's it! You're just going to leave us there?**

**Shadow: Come on!**

**Me: Well, this was starting to get long.**

**Shadow: I don't care. Make it twenty pages long. With another date.**

**Sonic: Ooh! And a lemon while you're at it!**

**Me: Not now. Maybe another chapter.**

**REVIEW!**


	9. Good Night

**Me: Chapter nine!**

**Shadow: Nice. Can you make this fifty chapters long?**

**Sonic: Yeah, I'm having a great time.**

**Me: Probably not. But, this has only been one day. We'll see.**

**Shadow: Good. I love me Sonniku.**

**Sonic: And I love my Shadow-kun.**

***They kiss***

**Me: Go get a room.**

***They start to leave***

**Me: Not right now! We have a chapter to do!**

* * *

><p>Shadow pulled back. Sonic cringed, expecting either a punch or a scream, but was surprised when Shadow kissed him again. Sonic wrapped his arms around Shadow's head, deepening the kiss. Sonic pulled out for lack of air.<p>

"I think I love you, Sonic," Shadow said softly.

"I think I love you too, Shadow," Sonic whispered. He leaned in for another kiss and Shadow instantly met him in the middle. After a few seconds, they broke apart.

"Wow," Sonic breathed. "Did you feel…?"

"Electricity?" Shadow put in. Sonic nodded. "Yeah, I did." Sonic leaned in for more. Shadow put a finger to Sonic's lips. "Not that you're not tempting, but people are staring."

"Let them stare," Sonic stated. "It doesn't matter what people think."

"What are you going to do about Knuckles?" Shadow asked.

"I don't know," Sonic said looking away. "He probably won't take a break-up well. And finding us together won't be pretty either." Sonic sat down on a nearby bench. He put his head in his hands. "I don't know what to do now." Shadow sat down next to him.

"Well, neither do I." Shadow wrapped an arm around Sonic. "All I know is that I have really strong feelings for you."

"I feel the same." He turned to Shadow. "But what about my boyfriend and your girlfriend? How are we going to break up?"

"Easy. I… I mean you will tell Rouge that you're breaking up with her." Sonic's brow furrowed in confusion.

"But won't she…" Sonic started.

"She won't do anything. We break up and get back together every month or so. She'll just think that it's one of those times. Now, what about Knuckles?" Shadow inquired.

"Knuckles…" Sonic exhaled noisily. "He won't be easy to deal with. He can get very angry very quickly."

"Like me," Shadow put in. "I can easily deal with someone like me. I'll break up with him." Shadow put a hand on Sonic's knee. Sonic looked into Shadow's eyes. "You can count on me." Sonic gave a small smile.

"Thanks, hon…"

"No pet names," Shadow interrupted. Sonic looked hurt. "At least not yet." Sonic grinned.

"Do you want to sleep over at my house?" Sonic asked with a glint in his eye.

"That's a little too soon," Shadow replied.

"Fine. No sex. But could we at least cuddle tonight?" Sonic pleaded. Shadow looked at Sonic. He looked adorable when he begged.

"Okay," Shadow relented. "I'll sleep over. Just… no touching, okay?"

"Okay. But you are in my body. And I can touch myself." Shadow threw a sidelong glance at him.

"You know what I mean." Sonic smiled.

"I do." Sonic hugged Shadow tightly. Shadow nuzzled into Sonic's shoulder.

"Should we break the news tonight?" Shadow asked.

"Nah, it's starting to get late. Let's just pick up some stuff from your house and go to mine. I don't want to deal with your mom. No offense," Sonic said.

"None taken. She can be a bitch sometimes." Sonic's eyebrow rose. "Okay, a lot of the time. So, let's go." Shadow sped off towards his house, with Sonic right behind. Sonic spotted the house and sped up, easily passing Shadow. He got there first and rested his arm against the railing. Shadow got there an instant later.

"What took you so long?" Sonic joked. "I've been waiting for _hours_." Shadow just smiled. The smile vanished when he heard a bed scraping and moans coming from the upstairs window.

"Crap," Shadow whispered. "This is even worse than before. We have to go in through my window." Shadow raced around to the back. Sonic followed him and opened his mouth to speak. Shadow put a finger to his lips and shook his head. He motioned to a ladder resting on the ground. They both silently picked it up and leaned it against the second-floor window.

Shadow silently scurried up and held up two fingers. "Two minutes," he mouthed. Sonic nodded, clearly worried. Shadow slid open the window and vanished into his room.

Shadow went around his room, gathering up a change of clothes, something to sleep in, and a pair of boxers. He gently tossed the clothes out of the window and made his way down the ladder. Sonic gathered up the clothes and handed them to Shadow. Shadow glanced up. No one was in the windows, and the moans were louder than before. Shadow nodded and the pair slowly walked to the front of the house. They slowly walked past the front and stopped at the corner.

"What was that all about?" Sonic asked.

"My mom's boyfriend," Shadow explained. "He can be worse than her if he's ever disturbed. Now I'm glad we're sleeping at your house. If you don't act the right way around him, there would be hell to pay." Sonic hugged him.

"I'm sorry you have to deal with that every day." Shadow ruffled Sonic's quills.

"It's okay. I've dealt with that my whole life. I'm used to it." Sonic looked into Shadow's eyes.

"You shouldn't be. That's not the right way to treat anyone." Shadow gave Sonic a peck on the lips.

"I know. But thank you for caring. Let's go." Shadow grabbed Sonic's hand and the pair raced to Sonic's house. After a short race, they arrived. Shadow threw open the door.

"I'm home!" Shadow called, giving Sonic a wink. Sonic's mom walked out of the kitchen.

"Hey, Sonic," she said cheerily. "Where did you go?" she asked.

"I went to the movies with Shadow," Shadow said. "We went to see The Avengers. Would it okay if he slept over?"

"Of course that's okay!" she exclaimed. "It's nice to see you getting a social life."

"We're gonna head up to bed. We'll see you in the morning." She kissed Shadow on the top of the head and grimaced. "You, my dear, need a shower. Don't forget that before bed." Sonic snickered a little. "Good night," she said. The pair walked up the stairs and went into Sonic's room. Sonic turned to Shadow.

"You heard her, get in the shower!" Sonic said.

"Do I really have to? I don't want to rub my hands all over your body," Shadow complained.

"I had to do that this morning," Sonic pointed out. "Get going!" Shadow grumbled a little, but walked outside to look for the bathroom. After wandering a little, he found the bathroom. It was actually right next to Sonic's room. He glanced down the hallway. Sonic didn't seem to have any siblings and Sonic's parents' room was at the other end. He walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. He closed the door and looked down at his clothes.

_Do I really have to?_ Shadow wondered. He sighed, but pulled off the shirt and pants. He threw them into the hamper. Shadow looked down at the boxers he had on. He closed his eyes and pulled them down. His head snapped up and he walked straight into the shower, not wanting to look down just yet. There was a knock at the door.

"Are you almost done?" Sonic called.

"What?" Shadow called back. "I can't hear you. The door's muffling you." Sonic cracked open the door.

"Are you almost done?" Sonic asked.

"Not yet," Shadow answered. "I don't want to look at you naked yet." Sonic laughed from the other side.

"I thought Knuckles fucked you this morning. Didn't you look then?"

"I was too busy worrying about getting out of there. I didn't look."

"Too bad for you. You're missing out."

"Just go away, okay? I want some privacy," Shadow said.

"Okay, sweetie." Shadow rolled his eyes. He heard the door close. He let the hot water cascade down his body. He hummed, loving the hot water.

Shadow looked around, trying to find some shampoo or conditioner.

"Sonic?" Shadow called. There was no response. "Sonic?" Shadow called louder. The door cracked open.

"Yeah?" Sonic answered.

"Which shampoo and conditioner do you use?" Shadow asked.

"It's the green bottle for the shampoo and the blue bottle for conditioner" Sonic responded.

"Okay, thank you." The door closed. Shadow grabbed the bottles. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Well, I have to look eventually," he said to himself. He looked down. It was standing straight up. Shadow didn't realize that he was already getting aroused. He blushed and poured some of the shampoo onto his hand. He lathered himself up, and did his best to get every inch of fur. After finally rinsing off, he shut off the water. He pulled back the curtain and yelped. Sonic was on the other side, staring at the shower. Shadow pulled the curtain in an attempt to cover himself.

"I thought I had privacy!" Shadow choked out. Sonic smiled.

"You don't need that curtain," Sonic said. "It's my body and I know what I look like." Shadow held tighter.

"Please get out for a minute. I already told you not tonight." Shadow looked away. "I'm not even sure I like this." Sonic reached over and put a hand on Shadow's shoulder.

"Relax. I won't do anything you're not ready for. I promise." He leaned over and kissed Shadow. "I'll be in my room." Sonic opened the door and left. Shadow shook his head. That crazy hedgehog. He stepped out of the shower and started to dry himself off. He wiped off the foggy mirror.

_Damn. Sonic does look pretty sexy_. Shadow thought. He looked himself over and after admiring his boyfriend's body, he put on some clothes. He stepped out of the bathroom and walked into the bedroom. Sonic was waiting in the bed, underneath the covers.

"Hey, sexy," Sonic said. Shadow gave a small smile.

"Hey, hot stuff," Shadow replied. Shadow laid down on the small bed right next to Sonic. Their faces were inches apart. "This can't end well for me," Shadow said.

"I can restrain myself. Give me a little credit." Shadow smiled and ran a hand lovingly down Sonic's cheek.

"I know." He kissed Sonic on the forehead. "Just try to sleep first. We can have sex after this is all over."

"If you can last that long," Sonic replied. He twisted around and Shadow wrapped an arm around Sonic's stomach, pulling him closer.

"I love you, Sonikku," Shadow whispered into Sonic's ear.

"I love you too, Shadow-kun," Sonic whispered back.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: That seemed like the best point to end the chapter.<strong>

**Sonic: Finally the romance starts!**

**Shadow: But you didn't have a lemon!**

**Me: I know, I thought about it, but your character isn't ready yet. Give it some time.**

**Shadow: Next chapter?**

**Sonic: Please?**

**Me: That's a big maybe. Just wait and see.**

**REVIEW!**


	10. The Trouble Begins

**Me: Here's chapter ten!**

**Shadow: Will there be a lemon?**

**Me: Nope. Sorry.**

**Sonic: Really? I was starting to enjoy myself. Make a short one.**

**Me: Nope. I have other plans.**

**Shadow: Like what?**

**Me: Wait and find out.**

* * *

><p>Shadow woke up and felt his arm tingling. He felt Sonic's warm body and nuzzled closer. He carefully lifted up his arm and shook it slightly. After feeling finally returned, he hugged Sonic and brought him closer.<p>

_I can't believe I fell in love with him. I can't believe I fell in love with a guy. Some part of me thinks it's disgusting, but another part loves it._ Shadow thought. He leaned over and gently kissed Sonic's cheek. _He is too cute._Shadow glanced at the clock._It's only 5:30. I have a few hours before I have to get up._ He yawned and fell back asleep.

* * *

><p>There was a knock at Sonic's door. "Sonic!" Sonic's mom called. "It's time to get up!" The pair groggily opened their eyes. Sonic twisted around to face his new boyfriend.<p>

"Good morning, Shadow-kun," Sonic said.

"Good morning, Sonic," Shadow replied. Sonic grimaced.

"You have terrible morning breath."

"Correction. **You **have terrible morning breath. It's your body." Sonic smiled and kissed Shadow.

"We better get going." Sonic threw the covers off. Shadow gasped a little. "What?" Sonic asked.

"You… slept… naked…" Shadow said slowly.

"Yeah, I almost always do. Is there a problem?" Sonic asked.

"Well, you're in my body…" Shadow turned away, embarrassed. Sonic put an arm on his shoulder and turned him around.

"Like you said, it's your body. Don't be embarrassed. But I've already seen it. And I think it looks absolutely gorgeous." Sonic and Shadow locked eyes. Shadow's eyes drifted and stopped at Sonic's crotch. "You want me, don't you?" Sonic stated. Shadow looked away.

"I won't lie. I do. But we have school to go to." Shadow looked into Sonic's eyes. "And I'm not quite ready yet." Sonic kissed him.

"I promise to wait for you." Sonic went over to the dresser and opened a drawer. He pulled on some underwear. Sonic opened the next drawer.

"Oh, Sonic," Shadow said. Sonic grunted. "You're in my body. It's black for you!" Sonic groaned as Shadow pulled out black jeans and a black t-shirt. Sonic reluctantly pulled them on. Shadow pulled off his sleep clothes and Sonic whistled.

"Why whistle at your own body?" Shadow asked.

"Because… I'm sexy and I know it," Sonic sang. Shadow smiled. He turned back to the dresser and pulled on a striped t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Shadow offered his hand to Sonic who took it readily. They locked eyes.

"Let's get down to breakfast." The pair walked out of the bedroom, hand in hand, and headed down the stairs. Sonic let go and walked into the kitchen. Two plates with fried eggs, sausages, and toast were waiting on the table. The smell made Shadow's mouth water. Sonic's mom was bustling around the kitchen.

"Oh, you two are up! Breakfast is on the table and I'm making both of you lunches." She kissed both of them on the forehead. "Now eat up before it gets cold!" She turned back to the kitchen counter. Sonic immediately headed over to one of the chairs and sat down. Shadow slowly followed, unused to the treatment. He sat down and poked the egg suspiciously. He tentatively brought a forkful to his mouth and took a bite.

He stopped. It was the best egg he had ever tasted. It was creamy, slightly salty, and had a hint of spice. He quickly gobbled it up and moved on the sausage and toast. After he had finished those, he noticed Sonic was already cleaning up. Shadow followed suit, to try to be considerate.

"Boys," Sonic's mom called. The pair looked over. "Here are your lunches. You two should head to the bus stop. It'll be here in a few minutes." They nodded and headed out. A fire truck suddenly raced by, its sirens wailing loudly. Shadow looked up at the sky and saw a trail of smoke. He looked over.

"Want to go see?" Shadow asked. Sonic shrugged.

"Sure, we have some time before school starts." They raced off, following the smoke. Shadow stopped in his tracks when they got close. Sonic stopped a little further ahead and walked back.

"What's wrong?" Sonic asked.

"This… this is my street," Shadow said quietly. Sonic's eyes widened and the pair ran faster. They stopped when they saw the house. It was Shadow's. Shadow sank to his knees and put a hand to his mouth in shock. Tears started forming in his eyes. Sonic rested a hand on Shadow's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry," Sonic whispered.

"What happened?" Shadow asked hoarsely. Sonic went down on one knee.

"I don't know. Maybe a candle turned over, or she fell asleep smoking…" Shadow shook his head.

"No. My mom is better than that. She would never be that careless. There has to be a better explanation." He stood up. His eyes suddenly widened. "What if Eggman is trying to find us?"

"I doubt it."

"Let's go back to your house to just check." Shadow ran ahead, remembering the way there. Sonic had no choice but to follow. They arrived and saw the front door was open. They exchanged worried glances. Shadow circled around to the driveway and saw a van parked. Across the side was the Grand Gem logo.

"My mom is in danger," Sonic whispered. He rushed to the door, but Shadow grabbed him first.

"Don't. We don't know what's in there." Sonic collapsed to the ground. "Let's skip school. Eggman is trying to find us. If we go there, he _will _capture us. We need to get out of here."

"But what about my mom?" Sonic asked worriedly.

"She'll tell them we went to school and they'll leave to go find us."

"But we won't be there! They could come back and kill her for lying!" Sonic said loudly.

"Then let's go to school. Have them find us, and escape." Sonic looked at the ground.

"That's easier said than done," he mumbled.

"Well it's all we have right now." Shadow stood up and offered Sonic a hand. He stood up and wiped the seat of his pants.

"But after we escape, what do we do?" Shadow thought for a moment.

"Let's surprise Eggman at his base. We'll scope it out today." Sonic nodded and the pair raced to school. They stopped at the front doors. "We need to tell Tails and Silver what happened. Do you know where they are?" Sonic absently nodded, but a tear streaked down his face. Shadow kissed him.

"Sonic, I love you. I will always be here for you. I promise to do anything I can to make you happy. I know you're scared, but so am I. We both need to be strong. Can you promise me that?" Sonic looked at his boyfriend. He threw his arms around him and put his head on Shadow's shoulder. His body wracked in a sob.

"I don't want my mom to die," Sonic choked out. Shadow stroked Sonic's quills, tears forming at the corners of his eyes.

"I know," Shadow whispered. "I don't know what will happen, but I will always be here for you." Sonic pulled back to look at Shadow, who gently wiped away the tears on Sonic's face. "We need to make sure they find us. They're probably on their way now." Shadow looked over his shoulder, watching for the van. He turned back and firmly took hold of Sonic's shoulders. Sonic looked up.

"Be strong. We can do this," Shadow said strongly. Sonic closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened them. The red orbs seemed harder and angry.

"Yes, we can," Sonic replied. "Tails and Silver are normally in the math department. We need to hurry if we want to find them." Shadow nodded and the two raced inside. After running through the crowded hallways, they arrived at the math wing. Sonic scanned the crowd and spotted Silver's trademark hair.

"There he is!" Sonic said. They carefully made their way to Silver.

"Silver!" Shadow called. Silver turned, revealing Tails next to him.

"What's up, guys?" Silver asked.

"Well, a lot," Shadow responded. One of Silver's eyebrows rose. "We think Eggman is looking for us. My house got torched and we saw a Grand Gem van parked outside of Sonic's house. We don't know what happened to our parents." Shadow noticed Sonic tearing up and squeezed his hand lovingly. Silver's and Tail's eyes widened.

"What are you guys going to do?" Tails asked.

"We're going to let them find us and hopefully escape them," Shadow said.

"How do you plan on escaping?" Silver questioned. Shadow rubbed the back of his head and looked down.

"Didn't get that far yet…"

"Well, the math office is always open and empty," Tails piped up. "And it locks from the inside too!" Shadow grinned.

"Perfect! Is there a window? Or am I hoping for too much?"

"Actually, there is a window," Sonic said. "I think we can fit through it."

"Sounds like a plan," Shadow said. He looked at Tails and Silver. "Do you guys want to come with us and look at the base?"

"Yes!" they both said eagerly.

"It's a great excuse to get out of this dump for the day," Tails said. "Plus, I might have some stuff at home that could be useful."

"Awesome," Shadow said. The homeroom bell rang. "I expect them to be here in a few minutes. If you hear yelling, that would be us. If not, get to the room in ten minutes. We should be in there by then."

"Okay. Be careful!" Tails said.

"Don't worry, we will," Sonic assured. The group separated and went off to homeroom. Shadow looked at Sonic.

"As soon as they see you, run like hell. Make as many turns as you can. Be creative, but most of all, stay safe. I don't want to lose you," Shadow said.

"Same to you," Sonic replied. He kissed Shadow and ran towards homeroom. Shadow smiled and ran towards his homeroom. Shadow walked into the classroom.

It was a science classroom, with specimens in jars lining the shelves. Each was labeled 'unknown'. There was a microscope out on the teacher's desk and a laptop was displaying a slide of a powerpoint for the next class. Shadow scanned the room, and found an empty seat. He sat down and the late bell for homeroom rang. He groaned as the pledge of allegiance started. He stood up again and put his right hand to his heart. He stayed silent but watched the door in case a Grand Gem goon walked in.

He sat back down once it was over. The morning announcements came over the PA, but Shadow didn't listen. He was focusing on the door. A man in a black business suit walked through the door. Shadow tensed. The man came up to the teacher and whispered something. Shadow wished he had better hearing. The teacher nodded and looked to the class.

"Sonic?" she called.

"Yes?" Shadow responded.

"Can you come up here for a minute?" Shadow got up and walked to the front of the room. The teacher motioned to the man. "He wants you to go with him. Something about a research opportunity."

_I know. I'm the research._ Shadow thought. "Sure thing," Shadow said. The man glanced at Shadow.

"If you will follow me," the man said. He walked out of the door with Shadow following. As soon as they had left the classroom, Shadow bolted.

"Hey!" the man shouted. Shadow ignored him and kept running. He glanced back and saw the man talk into a radio. Shadow whipped around the closest corner, amazed at how fast he could run in such a short amount of time. He rounded the next corner and spotted Sonic dash down another hallway. Someone ran to try to catch up. Shadow grinned, knowing they would never catch him.

Shadow raced down the hallway, and stopped short when he saw someone on the other end of the hallway. He turned around and ran down the closest hall. He stopped and saw another goon at the end. The guard shouted and Shadow started to run back. The guard from before was at the exit. He was trapped! One of the guards pulled out a radio and a net. Shadow gulped.

"Target two is in my sights," the guard said. He put the radio away. "It's okay, we won't hurt you," the guard promised.

_I trust you as far as I can throw you. _Shadow thought. He got an idea and dashed towards the guard with the net. Once he got close enough, the net crashed down on him.

"Gotcha!" the guard shouted.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Shadow responded. He ran towards the guard at the other end and pulled the guard and the net behind him. The guard yelped and crashed to the ground. Shadow grinned and ran faster. The guard spread his legs in an attempt to block the hallway.

"Nowhere to run!" he shouted. Shadow yanked off the net and dove through the guard's legs. He rolled a little and dashed off. Smiling, he ran as fast as he could to the math office. He glanced around and pulled the door open. He closed it behind him and sank to the ground. He looked up. Sonic was looking at him. They both smiled and Sonic flew into Shadow's arms. Shadow embraced him and kissed him.

"I'm glad you're safe," Shadow said.

"Me too," Sonic said with a smile.

"Did Tails and Silver get here yet?" Shadow asked. Sonic shook his head.

"Not yet, but they should be here soon." Shadow looked at the dark room. The lights were off to hide their presence from the guards, but Shadow could still see how messy it was. Papers were scattered everywhere, some in neat piles, but others were thrown haphazardly around one desk. Shadow noticed a blue glow from underneath one of the papers. He walked over and brushed it away. Underneath was a small box with the Grand Gem logo plastered across the front.

"Sonic," Shadow called softly. Sonic walked over and put a hand to his mouth when he saw it. Shadow lifted it up to inspect it. It was jet black and seamless. He set it back down and noticed a blue circle in the top left corner. It looked almost like a button. Shadow pressed it. A soft click came from inside. The top rose slightly. Shadow and Sonic looked at each other. Shadow lifted the top off.

Inside was a mass of circuitry. There were several buttons with tiny labels scattered around and a rat's nest of wires in one corner. Shadow looked over the buttons.

"What does this do?" Sonic asked as he pushed a button.

"Sonic! We…" Shadow started to say. He suddenly collapsed to the floor. Sonic gasped and got down on his knees.

"Shadow?" Sonic said worriedly. Sonic could hear a soft snore from Shadow. Sonic sighed in relief and shook him. Shadow groaned and woke up.

"What happened?" he asked groggily.

"I pushed a button and it made you fall asleep," Sonic explained.

" Maybe that's why I fell asleep in math yesterday…" Shadow said.

"You fell asleep in math too?" Sonic asked incredulously.

"And I had a dream I was in a lab. I was strapped down and someone was coming in. I felt terrified and then I woke up."

"I had a dream too. I was strapped down to a gurney and a woman was talking into a recorder about some 'psychic experiment.' She noticed me looking and put a sedative in my IV drip. Then I woke up," Sonic said. Shadow looked down at the box.

"Maybe this box has something to do with all of this. We should keep it."

"But that's stealing!" Sonic protested. Shadow threw him a glance.

"But we're in danger. We need to find out what happened and this box might help us later."

Sonic sighed. "Okay. Take it." The door rattled and the two whirled around. It flew open and Tails and Silver tumbled in. Shadow ran over and shut it quickly, locking it. Tails and Silver groaned and sat up.

"Good, we're all here," Shadow said. Tails rubbed his head.

"You need to get rid of your fur, Silver. You whacked me in the head," Tails said.

"Sorry," Silver said with a sheepish grin. Sonic walked over to the window at the back of the room. He peeked out.

"The coast looks clear. Let's head out!" Sonic said triumphantly. He pulled the window up and tried to pop the screen out. It wouldn't budge. Sonic grunted, trying to push the frame out. Shadow tapped him on the shoulder.

"Check your right pocket," Shadow whispered. Sonic stopped for a moment and reached into the pocket. He pulled out a pocketknife. Sonic threw Shadow a glance.

"Bringing knives to school?" Sonic tsked. "Not one to follow rules, are ya Shadz?" Shadow gave a small smile. Sonic opened the knife and cut through the screen. After the screen was gone, Sonic closed the knife and crawled out the window. Shadow followed right behind. It was a very short drop to the ground. Shadow looked around. They were at the back of the school, facing the forest. No one else was in sight. Tail jumped out and Silver crawled out a second later.

"Let's head to my place," Tails said. "I might have a few things that will help." Sonic and Shadow nodded. Sonic took the lead and ran through the forest, with the other boys trailing.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Wow. That got really long.<strong>

**Sonic: At least we got to wake up together.**

**Shadow: I liked it. A little action never hurts.**

**Sonic: True. Any lemons in the next chapter?**

**Me: I doubt it. We'll have to see.**

**REVIEW!**


	11. Tails' Garage

**Me: Wow. These chapters go by so fast.**

**Sonic: Tell me about it. I only get a few short minutes with my Shadow-kun!**

**Me: What happened? When I started, you were indifferent, now you're all over him.**

***Sonic shrugs***

**Sonic: I realized how much I loved him.**

**Shadow: Good. Now make me a sammich.**

**Sonic: If you haven't noticed, I'm not a girl.**

**Shadow: Could have fooled me.**

**Me: Before this goes any further, we have a chapter to do.**

* * *

><p>Sonic raced through the forest, watching for tree roots and bushes. Shadow, Silver, and Tails were close behind. He swatted a low-hanging branch out of the way. He stopped short when the branch revealed the road. He scanned up and down, to make sure no one from Grand Gem was around. He looked back at the others and nodded. Tails raced out, leading the others to his house.<p>

_He'd better have a lot that we can use. _Shadow thought. Tails slowed down and walked over to one of the houses on the street. It was white with blue shutters and a perfectly manicured lawn. Shadow chuckled when he saw a plastic pink flamingo in the front lawn.

"Over here!" Tails called. The garage door was opening. Shadow wondered what could possibly be in that tiny room. When he could finally see inside, he noticed it was completely empty.

"Well?" Shadow growled. "Where is everything?"

"Patience, Shadow," Sonic said. Tails motioned for all of them to come inside. Sonic did another scan to make sure no one had seen them. Satisfied, he walked inside. Tails pushed the button to close the door. Shadow looked around the bare room.

"Sonic?" Shadow said. Sonic grunted. "Have you seen Tails' creations before?"

"Yep!"

"Then where are they?"

"That's a surprise for first time visitors. You're in for a shock," Sonic said with a grin. Shadow noticed Tails was punching numbers into a keypad next to the garage opener.

"Done!" Tails said triumphantly. Sonic grabbed Shadow's hand and brought him to the center of the room. Sonic snuggled close to Shadow.

"What are you doing?" Shadow asked.

"You'll see." Shadow felt a jolt in the floor and saw some of the concrete pull away. There was a groaning and creaking noise coming from below. Shadow saw he was on a tiny square in the floor.

"Sonic?" Shadow said worriedly. Sonic looked into Shadow's eyes.

"Trust me." He nuzzled closer. The square he was on suddenly dropped. Silver and Shadow yelped. They were still standing on the square, but they were going down at an alarming rate. Shadow clung to Sonic for support. The platform slowed down and came to a stop, fitting perfectly in the hole on the floor.

"Uh… Silver?" Tails said. "You can let go now." Silver reluctantly let go. Shadow had his eyes closed. Sonic ducked out of his death-grip and walked away with Tails. Shadow opened his eyes. He was in a tiny room. There was a workbench on one side with tools scattered all over it. A few tools were hanging up on the other side, but Shadow didn't recognize any of them. On the third side, there was an ancient computer collecting cobwebs. The last side, opposite the computer, was completely bare.

Shadow suddenly realized he was alone. He whirled around. There was nowhere to hide. "Sonic?" Shadow called. He looked to the computer to see if there was some sort of clue on it. He felt a tap on his shoulder and twisted around to see who it was. It was Sonic.

"Come on," Sonic said. He offered his hand to Shadow. He took it and Sonic walked straight to the bare wall.

"What are you doing?" Shadow asked worriedly.

"You'll see," Sonic said with a mischievous grin. As they got closer to the wall, Shadow closed his eyes to brace for the impending impact. He didn't feel anything. He opened his eyes to see what happened, and then widened them in wonder.

He was now in what looked like an airplane hangar. There were several metal columns in rows supporting the ceiling, which was made of some shiny metal. He saw a blue aircraft with _Tornado _written on it in the center. There was a bank of computer screens covering one wall and a keyboard resting on a table in front of them. Scattered around were bits and pieces of machines, some rusty, some sparkling. Tails waved a hand.

"Come on, guys!" he shouted. Sonic rushed off. Shadow reluctantly followed, unsure of what had happened. Tails was clacking away at the keyboard, typing in commands. Sonic looked at Shadow.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Shadow shook his head.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little confused." Sonic motioned behind them and Shadow turned.

"Tails works on all kinds of things down here. He just has a lot of security to keep it safe. The room we came in was a hologram. Well, at least that wall was. The rest here is real." Shadow looked again in wonder. How could a high school boy come up with all of this? He looked back at the small boy genius. What was going on in his mind?

He heard a wooshing noise and looked at the wall next to the computer bank. It slid open to reveal some shelving containing all kinds of camping equipment.

"Tails?" Shadow said. Tails grunted in acknowledgement. "Why do we need camping equipment?" Tails spun the chair around to face Shadow.

"Since Eggman is after you guys, we need to stay out of town. That means camping in the woods." He turned back to the keyboard and started typing more commands. "Take what you need from the shelves," he said over his shoulder. "You should know what you're doing, Sonic." Sonic smiled and walked over to the camping supplies.

"Right," he said in his usual cocky tone. "Let's see… a camp stove, some propane tanks, rain gear, water purifier, freeze-dried food, flashlights, compasses, maps, and two tents." Sonic turned around to survey the small pile he made behind him. He heard a soft groan come from the bottom and saw a blue arm sticking out of the mess. Sonic rushed over and dug his boyfriend out of the mess.

"Watch where you throw, Sonic," Shadow groaned. He rubbed his forehead.

"Sorry, honey," Sonic said.

"Why two tents? Can't we all have private ones?" Shadow asked.

"That would be too heavy. Tails doesn't have any tents that can fit four people so two tents will have to do," Sonic explained. Shadow stood up and looked at Tails. He was locked in a make-out session with Silver. Shadow whistled loudly to get their attention. They quickly broke apart and glared at Shadow.

"Tails, I don't know what I'm doing. Mind telling me where you want all of this stuff?" Shadow asked.

"Just put it in the _Tornado._ She has lots of room." Tails looked back to his white boyfriend and went back to what he was doing. Shadow rolled his eyes and gathered up some of the gear.

"But Tails," Sonic said loudly, "this is a stealth mission. The _Tornado_ is too loud." Sonic thought for a moment. "We can carry everything!" he said enthusiastically.

"So long as you two keep your hands to yourselves," Shadow said sarcastically. Sonic laughed and went back to the shelf to get a backpack. He dragged it over to the pile and put some of the stuff in, making sure not to break anything.

"You should get a backpack too, Shadow," Sonic said. "I can't carry all of this by myself." Shadow reluctantly went to the shelves and pulled out a butt-ugly green pack. Sonic had stuffed his pack and was zipping it up.

Shadow packed up the remainder and closed his pack. He tried to heft it up, but almost fell forward. It was way too heavy for him to carry.

"Does anyone want to take some of my crap?" Shadow asked. The three laughed. Silver detached himself from Tails and grabbed a pack.

"I'll help," Silver said. He walked over and made sure the pack was open. He closed his eyes and took out exactly half of the stuff in Shadow's pack telekinetically. Tails watched, enthralled with Silver's ability. After Silver had deposited everything, he opened his eyes and looked back to grin at Tails.

"Wow," Tails said. "That was awesome!" he said excitedly. He rushed over.

"I'm glad you don't think I'm weird," Silver said. Tails hooked his arms around Silver's neck and looked into his amber eyes.

"Of course not," Tails said. "I love you no matter what." They kissed. Sonic and Shadow looked at each other and rolled their eyes. They hoisted up their packs and buckled everything up.

"So I guess we're running!" Sonic said loudly. Silver put on his pack and looked over to his boyfriend.

"Do you want me to carry anything?" Tails asked. Shadow shook his head.

"No, but thanks. We're pretty fast and I don't want you to be left behind trying to carry a heavy pack," Shadow said.

"So you don't think I'm fast?" Tails asked, slightly hurt. Sonic smacked his forehead and walked over to Tails.

"Shadow means well. He just has a little trouble saying it without hurting someone." Sonic put a hand on Tails' shoulder. "But Silver, Shadow and I can be really fast. With packs, we'll be a lot slower. He's just worried that you'll be left too far behind and get hurt or captured. He's just concerned for you." He shot Shadow a look and he nodded vigorously. Sonic gave a small smile. "Now let's get going!" Sonic sped off to the elevator but Tails whistled loudly.

"We're not done packing yet!" he shouted. Sonic skidded to a halt and raced back.

"What else would we need?" Sonic asked. He cocked his head to the side. Tails grinned mischievously. He did an about-face and walked back to the keyboard. He turned back to the three hedgehogs, who were all looking very confused. Tails did a flourish with his hand and pressed the 'enter' key. The camping supply shelves retreated back, only to be replaced by new shelves. Sonic walked forward to see what Tails had planned.

"This is awesome!" he shouted. Tails smiled and Shadow and Silver walked cautiously forward to see what Tails had. Shadow rested his chin on Sonic's shoulder to see what he was staring at. All across the shelves were assorted gadgets. Shadow had no idea what they all did, but Sonic was holding some strange object.

"What is that?" Shadow asked.

"Oh, you'll find out. I promise," Tails said. "Take all of that. I prepared us for anything." Sonic shrugged and carefully placed some of the gadgets into his pack. Silver and Shadow followed suit. "Now we're ready," Tails said. The four of them headed to the elevator, and headed up.

"How could you afford all of this?" Shadow asked. Tails shrugged.

"I just do," he said mysteriously. The elevator stopped smoothly in the garage. Shadow looked down and noticed the platform had virtually disappeared. Sonic faced Tails.

"How do we get to Eggman's base from here?" he asked. Tails pulled out a map from the back of Silver's pack. He unfolded it on the ground and the boys clustered around it. Tails pointed to a street.

"We're here," he said. He lifted his finger and pointed to the middle of the nearby forest. "And Eggman's base is here. It's mostly a forest trek. We should set up camp somewhere near the halfway point. We don't know where Eggman's defenses start." The boys nodded. Sonic stood up.

"So let's get going!" Sonic pushed the button to open the garage door. He looked out and froze.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: There you have it!<strong>

**Sonic: What's outside?**

**Me: Not telling.**

**Shadow: A clue?**

**Me: It doesn't take a genius to figure out what's outside.**

**Sonic: Tell us anyways.**

**Me: Not a chance.**

**REVIEW!**


	12. The Camping Trip

**Sonic: Finally! What's outside?**

**Me: I'm not telling now.**

**Shadow: You better.**

**Me: Not a chance.**

**Sonic: Come on!**

**Me: If you let me start, you'll find out.**

* * *

><p>Outside of Tails' garage was a Grand Gem van. Sonic and Shadow paled. Silver closed his eyes. He snapped them open after a few seconds.<p>

"The coast is clear. There's no one inside the van," Silver said. They all breathed a sigh of relief. "But they're inside the house. We need to go. Now." Silver ran ahead and raced down the street. Sonic and Shadow glanced at each other and rushed to catch up. Tails set his tails to spinning and flew ahead. After catching up to Silver, he took the lead. Sonic and Shadow jogged behind the couple. Shadow turned his head to look at Sonic.

"Are you sure Tails knows where he's going?" Shadow asked.

"I'm positive," Sonic puffed. "He probably has a plan for everything we might encounter." After running for twenty more minutes, Tails suddenly dove into the forest ahead. Sonic and Shadow exchanged glances and ran to catch up to him. Tails and Silver were waiting just on the other side of the underbrush.

"What is it?" Shadow asked.

"This is where we head through the forest," Tails said between breaths.

"Are you okay?" Silver asked worriedly. Tails rested his hands on his knees and bent forward a little.

"Yeah. I'm fine," Tails said. "It's just been a while."

"Tails, you need to sit down. I don't want you passing out," Sonic said. Tails silently agreed and sat down on a nearby rock. He flopped back and just tried to slow down his ragged breathing. Silver pulled out the map from his pack and unfolded it on the ground.

"We're… here," Silver said, pointing at the edge of the forest. He traced an invisible line to where Tails had marked Eggman's base. "So we have a few more miles until we reach halfway."

Tails groaned. "Can we walk from now on? I can't run anymore."

They all laughed at that.

"Of course," Sonic said. "We should all eat something now. I don't want anyone to faint." He dug into his pack and brought out a few energy bars. He passed them out. Shadow opened it up and faked a gag.

"These look like shit. I mean, real shit," he said.

Sonic shrugged. "Then don't look at it while you eat it. At least you have the chocolate one. Those are the best," Sonic replied.

"It still looks like someone crapped in the wrapper," Shadow complained. He bit into it anyways. It didn't taste terrible, but it wasn't great either. He finished it quickly, hoping to get the taste out of his mouth. Sonic and Silver finished at roughly the same time. Tails slowly sat up.

"Are we ready to go?" he asked.

"Yep," Sonic said cheerfully. "But eat an energy bar first." Tails groaned loudly but ate it anyways. Whenever he took a bite, he made different disgusted faces. The three hedgehogs were laughing hysterically by the end of it. Tails hopped down.

"Let's go!" he shouted. Tails took the lead and motioned for the rest of them to follow. Sonic and Shadow looked at each other for a moment and followed close behind. Silver dashed to catch up to Tails. He laced their fingers together. Tails looked into Silver's amber eyes and kissed him gently. Sonic looked at Shadow.

"Why don't you do any of that?" he asked.

"If you haven't noticed, I'm not a really touchy-feely kind of guy." Shadow looked into Sonic's eyes. "But I do love you, Sonic. I mean it." Sonic smiled softly. He leaned over and kissed Shadow gently. He pulled back and tripped over a rock he didn't see. Shadow tried to suppress a laugh.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Sonic said. He stood up and dusted himself off. "Just a little clumsy." Shadow smiled broadly in amusement. They walked a little faster to catch up to Tails and Silver.

Hours passed. There was no sign of Eggman's base. They only saw trees, bushes, and birds. Sonic scanned the trees once in a while to make sure there were no cameras watching them or anybody who could be a threat. Thankfully, he didn't spot anything.

"Where are we?" Silver asked. Tails walked over to a fallen log and sat down. He took out the map and unfolded it. He stared at it for a minute.

"Umm…" he said. He flipped the map around and looked at it. "Uhh…" Shadow looked at him.

"You don't know where we are, do you?" Shadow asked.

"I'm still looking!" Tails exclaimed. He shook his head. "It's no use. We're lost."

"Did you think to bring a GPS?" Sonic asked. Tails suddenly brightened.

"Oh yeah! I forgot about that! Who has it?" Shadow dug into his pack.

"What does it look like?" Shadow asked.

"It's a yellow handheld. It looks like a cell phone." Sonic pulled it out and handed it to Tails.

"That's it!" He powered it up and watched the screen. After a few moments, the map appeared. Tails compared it to the map they had on the ground.

"We are… here." He pointed to a spot on the map. "We're a little off-course, but we're pretty close to where we need to be. We're about three miles from the base. We should set up camp somewhere close by so we don't set off any alarms." Sonic nodded. Tails looked at the GPS. "There's a stream nearby. We should set up there." Tails headed off to where the GPS was pointing him.

The three had no choice but to follow. "Why is Tails taking the lead?" Shadow asked.

"I have no idea what I'm doing right now. Tails is in his element. Outdoors, hiking, and technology. He loves all that stuff."

"Found it!" Tails called. The hedgehogs caught up to him. They looked around. The ground was virtually bare. There were a few sticks here and there and some rocks scattered around. A few tall, bare trees were all around the campsite. A small, clear stream was running alongside the open area. Silver pulled off his pack and placed it on the ground.

"Looks good!" Silver said. Sonic and Shadow followed suit and dug through their packs to get the tents out. Tails walked over and pulled the tent from the blue bag. As he unrolled it, Sonic caught sight of two other little bags and grabbed them. In silence, and in less than a minute, they had perfectly set up the tent. Shadow inspected the tent.

"You guys do this often, don't you?" he said. Sonic smiled and nodded.

"It's just something to do on the weekends," Sonic said. Tails grabbed one of the packs and stowed it inside. Sonic looked at Shadow. "Let's set up the other tent."

Shadow grabbed the other tent and pulled out the material. It unrolled in his hands and hit the ground, spilling the bag of stakes and bag of poles in the process. Sonic tried to hide a grin.

"Okay, lay the larger piece flat on the ground," Sonic commanded. He took two ends while Shadow pulled on the other ends. The tent fluffed up and settled slowly down to the ground. Sonic let go of his ends and scooped up the pole bag. He pulled out a folded pole and tossed another one to Shadow. Shadow yelped as the pole came apart and hit him. Sonic chuckled.

"Just click the pole together so it's completely straight," Sonic said. He was busy working on his pole. Shadow looked at the tangled pole on the ground. The brass tube was separated into several short segments, and each segment was connected with a thin piece of bungee cord. _Easy enough_ Shadow thought. He swiftly connected his pole and stood it up straight.

"This look good?" Shadow called. Sonic looked over.

"Looks great," he responded, "but don't hold it up straight. If lightning strikes, it _will_ go down the pole." Shadow dropped it like it was hot. "And don't break them either," Sonic teased. Shadow glared at him. Sonic motioned him over and pointed at a small sleeve in the material. "Here's where the pole goes in. Be gentle."

"No promises," Shadow said, grinning evilly. Sonic suddenly realized what he said and chuckled softly. Shadow carefully inserted the pole and slid it through. He spotted another sleeve and slid the pole through that one too.

"Perfect! Now take the end of the pole and put it into nearest circle in the corner," Sonic said. Shadow did as he was told, and did it again for the other pole. Sonic had set up the fly and was busy attaching it to the tent. Shadow walked back a little to admire his work. It was a simple tent, but he had helped to set it up. Sonic zipped the door open and put his pack inside. Shadow followed suit.

"So, what about a meal?" Shadow asked. "I'm starving!"

Tails laughed. He went into his tent and came back out with the water purifier. He gave it to shadow and handed him a one-liter water bottle.

"This is the water purifier. Pump the handle to get clean water and fill up the bottle." Tails pointed to an end with mesh on it. "That's the inlet. Keep it off the bottom, and you'll be fine." Tails went back into the tent to set up the sleeping pads.

Shadow rolled his eyes and walked over to the stream. He quickly filled the bottle and returned to the campsite. Sonic had set up the cooking stove and had a pot ready for water to boil. Shadow poured it in. He sat down on a fallen log next to the stove. Sonic sat down next to him.

"Are you okay?" Sonic asked. Shadow closed his eyes.

"No, not really. I hate it when people tell me how to do things." Shadow looked Sonic in the eyes. "I know it's best for you guys to teach me, but I hate it." Shadow turned away. "I feel so helpless." Sonic rubbed Shadow's back.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted it up fast," Sonic apologized. He sniffled a little.

"How are you doing?" Shadow asked.

"How do you think? I'm in the wilderness, on the run from Eggman, I have no idea what happened to my mom or my house…" A tear streaked down Sonic's cheek. "It's getting to be too much!" Shadow kissed him gently on the cheek and pulled him into a comforting hug. Tails looked over and shot Shadow a questioning look. Shadow waved his hand to dismiss him.

"You still have me. Nothing will be able to change that," Shadow promised. Sonic looked up, his eyes red and puffy from crying. A small smile ghosted across Sonic's lips.

"Thank you, Shadow." He nuzzled closer. Shadow noticed the pot was boiling.

"Hey Tails!" he called. Tails poked his head out of his tent.

"Yeah?" Tails responded.

"The water's boiling!" The tent shook a little as Tails was rummaging through one of the packs. He came out with four bags of freeze-dried dinners. Tails ripped the tops off and opened up the packs.

"Can you fill each pack halfway with water and close them?"

"No problem," Shadow said. Tails went back into his tent. Shadow looked at Sonic. "Ready?" Sonic wiped his eyes dry with his arm and nodded. Shadow got up and picked up the pot. Sonic held open the bags and Shadow put in the water. Sonic sealed them.

"Now what?" Shadow asked.

"Now, we wait. It takes a few minutes to cook." A confused look went across Shadow's face.

"That's it? We cooked dinner?" he asked incredulously.

"Yep." Sonic grinned.

"How long?" Shadow asked.

"About ten minutes. It's not that bad. Actually tastes all right." Sonic nuzzled into Shadow's chest. Shadow absently stroked Sonic's quills. They waited ten minutes and opened up the packs. The smell was intoxicating. The Beef Stew smelled absolutely incredible. Shadow licked his lips and picked up the pouch. He yelped and dropped it because it was still really hot. Sonic laughed and picked up his pouch by the very top. Shadow sighed and picked it up correctly.

"Got a fork?' Shadow asked. Sonic handed Shadow a fork and started devouring his food. Shadow looked inside. It looked gray and soupy. It didn't look like anything he would call delicious. He scooped up some noodles and took a bite. It actually tasted pretty good. It tasted almost like his mom's cooking. A pang of regret went through his body. He was still hurt.

His mom was probably dead, his stuff was charcoal. He couldn't go home. He looked over at Sonic, who was munching happily. It was all gone. Except for him. Sonic was the only thing that could keep him going. What was it about him? Maybe because he was a close opposite and completed him. Shadow sighed and ate his dinner.

Sonic looked up. "It's starting to get dark. Should we build a fire?" Sonic asked. Tails shook his head.

"That's a bad idea. We don't know if Eggman can see us or not. If the smoke doesn't tip him off, then the light will. Let's just go to bed. Oh, and Shadow?" Shadow looked up. "Make sure you don't have any more food in your pack. We don't want to have any bears trying to get into your tent."

"Then what are you going to do with the food?" Silver asked.

"I have a bag that I can hang from a tree limb. That keeps it far enough off the ground so that they can't get at it." Tails got up and picked up a coil of rope. He searched the treetops for a strong branch, parallel to the ground. He spotted the perfect branch and tossed one end over. It looped around and sank down to the ground.

"Search your pack for _anything_that smells good. That includes toothpaste. The three went to their tents and came back with their arms full of stuff. Tails had a mesh bag on the ground. On closer inspection, the mesh was actually metal. They all dumped food into the bag. Tails cinched it shut and pulled on the rope to hoist it up. After it was about fifteen feet in the air, Tails took the end he was holding and tied it to another tree.

"There," Tails said, feeling very accomplished. He yawned. "Let's get to bed. We need to start early." Tails and Silver walked hand in hand into their tent. Sonic and Shadow looked at each other.

"We should have set everything up while it was still light," Sonic commented.

Shadow shrugged. "It shouldn't be that bad."

They unzipped the entrance and crawled inside. Their packs were still on the ground, but the rest was bare. Sonic opened his pack and took out a bedroll and a sleeping bag. Shadow did the same. Sonic took out the bedroll and unrolled it. It was an inflatable roll and Sonic quickly inflated it.

"That's it. I'm done." Sonic flopped down on his roll. Shadow finished inflating his roll and laid down. He turned to face Sonic and propped his head up on his hand.

"Do you think we're stuck like this?" Shadow whispered.

Sonic looked over. "I don't know. We still have no idea what Eggman did to us. It might be irreversible. We just don't know. But, there is one thing I do know." Sonic turned his body to face Shadow.

"What's that?" Shadow asked.

"I love you." Sonic tenderly kissed Shadow. Shadow kissed back and opened his mouth. He ran his tongue across Sonic's lips. Sonic opened his mouth and his tongue shot out. Shadow was slightly surprised, but fought to keep Sonic's tongue out of his. After a brief stalemate, Shadow won and his tongue went into Sonic's damp cavern. He explored it, finding every nook and cranny. Sonic moaned from the feeling. They broke apart, each breathing heavily.

"Wow," Sonic panted.

"Oh, Silver," someone moaned loudly. Sonic and Shadow looked at each other and had a hard time not laughing. After they had calmed down a little, Shadow locked eyes with Sonic. He lunged forward and brought him into a passionate kiss. He slid his hand up Sonic's shirt and gently massaged his stomach. Sonic pulled back and yanked off his shirt. He looked at Shadow.

"Are you sure?" Sonic asked. Shadow's green eyes gleamed. He kissed Sonic and let his hand wander to the waistband of Sonic's pants. He thrust his hand in and grasped Sonic's hardening member. Sonic gasped and broke the kiss.

"Good enough answer?"

Sonic nodded.

Shadow pulled off his shirt and went back to kissing Sonic. Sonic lay down and Shadow laid down right on top of him. He swayed his hips slowly, gently rubbing their groins together. Sonic started to unbutton his pants. His hips rose for a moment as he slid his pants and underpants down. Shadow quickly followed suit. Shadow came up for air. He kissed Sonic gently on the neck and gradually kissed his way down Sonic's black body. He sucked on one of Sonic's nipples and Sonic groaned. Shadow worked his way down and looked at Sonic's hard dick.

It was a good seven inches long, but Shadow already knew that. It was his body after all. Shadow gently kissed the end. Sonic bucked his hips.

"Stop teasing, Shadz!" Sonic moaned. Shadow grinned and took the whole member into his mouth. Sonic moaned louder. Shadow started to bob his head. When he reached the tip, he pushed his tongue into Sonic's slit. Sonic moaned again. Shadow started to go faster and faster. Sonic gripped tighter.

"Oh, Shadow, I'm close…" Sonic panted. Suddenly, he came. Shadow pulled back to let his mouth fill up with his boyfriend's cum. He swallowed. Sonic sat up and gently pushed Shadow back down.

"My turn," he whispered huskily. He wrapped his hand around Shadow's penis and started pumping slowly. Shadow groaned. Sonic suddenly stopped and engulfed the eight inch member with his mouth. He sucked slowly and started to move his head. Shadow moaned loudly. He was so much better than Knuckles was. Shadow pulled Sonic's head down, urging him to go faster. Sonic obliged. Shadow moaned at the treatment he was receiving. He suddenly reached his climax. Sonic swallowed and came up, panting heavily.

"You're amazing," Shadow said and kissed him. Sonic pulled back.

"Do you want to fuck me?" Sonic asked. Shadow shook his head.

"I don't know too much about that…" Shadow trailed off. "But I do. And I don't want to hurt you." Sonic put a hand on his boyfriend's shoulder.

"How about the other way then? I promise to be very gentle." Shadow looked into Sonic's eyes. There wasn't any lust in them. There was only pure love. Shadow kissed him and flipped around, raising his ass in the air.

"I have some lube and condoms," Sonic said. "I don't want to hurt you."

"I trust you," Shadow said. Sonic dug through his pack and pulled out the lube and condom. He tore the wrapper off with his teeth and slid it on. He liberally applied the lube to his length and spread a little at Shadow's entrance. Shadow grimaced a little.

"Sorry it's a little cold." Shadow just nodded. Sonic positioned himself. "Are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Shadow responded. Sonic slowly pushed in.

"Ngh!" Shadow grunted from the intrusion.

"Just relax," Sonic cooed. "It'll feel better if you relax." Shadow closed his eyes and focused on relaxing. It took a little time, but he finally relaxed enough for Sonic to thrust in more. Shadow instantly tensed again.

"Try to focus on relaxing."

"I can't help it," Shadow said through gritted teeth. He relaxed again and Sonic thrust all the way in. Shadow cried out. Sonic paused to wait for Shadow to get used to the new feeling. Shadow tried to relax, and slowly got used to it.

"I'm sorry, Sonic," Shadow said.

"That's okay. Take all the time you need. I know I took a looong time my first time," Sonic said soothingly. Shadow waited, trying to let the pain disappear. After a few minutes, he nodded. Sonic saw his cue and pulled out. Shadow's muscles clenched again. Sonic thrust back in, but Shadow relaxed in time. He yelled in a mix of pain and pleasure. Sonic started slowly.

"Tell me when I can speed up a little," Sonic said. Shadow started to get used to the feeling. He pushed back as Sonic thrust forward, trying to get more pleasure out of it. Sonic felt this and gradually sped up. Both of them started moaning loudly. Sonic brushed Shadow's prostate. Shadow yelled in pleasure, but Sonic stopped.

"I'm sorry!" Sonic said hurriedly. "I didn't mean…"

"Hit me there again. Harder!" Shadow commanded. Sonic immediately knew what happened and followed his request, ramming hard into Shadow's prostate. Shadow started to see spots.

"Uhn… Sonic… I'm getting close!" Shadow moaned.

"Me… too…" Sonic panted. Shadow and Sonic suddenly screamed each other's names, both in heaven. Shadow came all over the tent floor. Sonic thrust a few more times, trying to give his boyfriend a little more pleasure before pulling out entirely. He rolled the condom off and threw it into a nearby garbage bag. Shadow flipped back over and lay down, his breathing ragged. Sonic crept up and nuzzled into Shadow's chest. Shadow quietly chuckled. Sonic looked up.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"We're in each other's bodies. You just fucked yourself."

Sonic laughed and snuggled closer.

"Good night. I love you, Shadow-kun," Sonic said.

"I love you too, Sonikku." Shadow responded. They drifted off to sleep in each other's arms.

* * *

><p><strong>Shadow: Finally! A lemon scene!<strong>

**Sonic: Yeah. I thought you'd never get around to this.**

**Me: Yeah, I know. Sorry it took so long. But, there's lots more chapters to do!**

**Sonic: Are you planning a threesome?**

**Me: Probably not. You're characters are going to want it to just be them.**

**Sonic: Awww. But threesomes are hot!**

**Me: This is a Sonadow story. Not Sonadow X who knows.**

**Shadow: How about a foursome then? You have Tails and Silver to mess with.**

**Me: … I'll think about it.**

**REVIEW!**


	13. The Next Morning

**Me: Chapter thirteen! The unlucky chapter!**

**Shadow: What's planned? Death?**

**Me: Nothing that dark. It's just unlucky thirteen.**

**Sonic: Well, good. But what do you have planned this chapter?**

**Me: I don't know. I'll see where the writing leads me.**

**Shadow: So you have no idea?**

**Me: Not a clue. Not unusual for me.**

**Sonic: Well start writing! I want to wake up naked next to Shadow!**

* * *

><p>Shadow woke up. There was sunlight streaming into the steamy tent. It was still hot in there from the events from the night before. Shadow looked down at his boyfriend, who was snuggled into his side. Shadow gently kissed him on the lips. Sonic's eyes fluttered open.<p>

"Good morning, sweetie," Sonic said groggily.

"Good morning to you too," Shadow replied. Sonic stretched and snuggled closer.

"Do you find it strange, waking up next to me? With both of us naked?" Sonic asked. Shadow smiled and shook his head.

"Not a chance." Shadow looked down at his body. Well, his boyfriend's body. "Especially with your sexy ass."

"Speaking of my ass, are you sore at all?" Sonic asked.

"A little, but not as sore as I was after Knuckles was through with me," Shadow responded. Sonic grimaced.

"I feel so sorry about that…" Shadow waved a hand.

"It's fine. You didn't know it was going to happen," Shadow reassured.

"Still…" Sonic trailed off.

"But you were amazing," Shadow said.

"You too," Sonic replied. They kissed. "Do you want to see what Tails and Silver thought?" Shadow froze.

"They heard us, didn't they?" Shadow said hoarsely.

"Yeah. But we heard them too. I think they were slightly louder too," Sonic grinned. Shadow stretched.

"Well, let's get some clothes on and see what happened last night."

"Or we could just go in as is and scare them," Sonic said mischievously. Shadow smiled.

"I like the way you think," Shadow said. They got up and zipped open the tent. The campsite was undisturbed, and Tails and Silver seemed to still be asleep. The two looked at each other and grinned. They stalked silently to the other tent. Sonic brought a finger to his lips, to make sure Shadow stayed quiet. Shadow nodded.

Sonic took hold of the zipper and, as quietly as he could, unzipped the door. They peered inside. Tails and Silver were both completely naked and were holding each other tightly. Shadow glanced over both of them. Sonic crawled in and snuggled next to Silver.

Silver rolled over and hugged Sonic, who winked at Shadow. Shadow got the message and cuddled next to Tails. Tails turned to Shadow and hugged him close. All four of them were packed into the two man tent, with Sonic's back against the side, Silver hugging him, and Tails hugging Shadow, whose back was to the wall. Shadow waited. He wondered what Sonic had planned to scare them so bad. Sonic's head rose up. Shadow looked up. Sonic made kissing faces and pointed to Tails. Shadow grinned evilly. He glanced down at Tails' sleeping form.

_Well, this is Sonic's idea._ Shadow thought. Sonic raised three fingers and counted them down one by one. On zero, Shadow kissed Tails. Tails' eyes opened a crack and shut again. Feeling mischievous, Shadow leaned into Tails' ear.

"Morning, honey," he whispered.

"Good morning, Shadow," Tails said groggily. His brow furrowed. "Shadow?" Tails' eyes opened in a flash. He looked down and saw he and Shadow were naked and cuddling together. His eyes widened in shock.

"Shadow!" Tails said loudly. "I… You… Me… What the hell happened?" Silver, who was wide awake at that point, twisted around to face Shadow.

"What are you doing with my boyfriend?" Silver shouted.

"I could ask you the same," Shadow replied dryly. Silver twisted his head to see Sonic waving at him. He looked at Sonic's naked body. Silver's mouth opened. Sonic and Shadow glanced at each other, and couldn't hold it together any longer. They burst into peals of laughter. Sonic wiped a tear from his eye.

"Now _that_ is priceless," Sonic said. "You should have seen the look on your face, Silv."

"No, you should have seen Tails' face," Shadow said through laughter. "That was even better." Silver and Tails started to giggle, and very quickly joined in on laughing. After the four of them had calmed down, Silver turned to Sonic.

"Okay. Out. You had your fun, now it's time we get more serious," Silver said. Sonic sighed.

"Fine. We'll get ready." Sonic and Shadow crawled out of the tent, and stretched.

"What were they thinking?" Silver asked Tails furiously. Sonic and Shadow turned to the tent, but kept quiet. "I mean, we're all in relationships!"

"It's okay, Silver," Tails reassured. "They just wanted to prank us. I'm sure they didn't want to break us up." Silver growled. "Relax, Silv," Tails said. "They're happy together and so are we. I know Sonic wouldn't want to ruin either."

"Of course not!" Sonic interjected.

"Hey! You're listening in!" Silver protested.

"Tents aren't soundproof," Tail said.

"At least give us **some **sense of privacy," Silver growled.

"Fine," Shadow said. He turned to Sonic. "Let's go," he said gruffly.

The two crawled into their tent.

"Well, that was fun," Sonic smiled. Shadow rolled his eyes.

"Depending on your point of view. What if **they** had done that to you?" Shadow asked.

"Probably gone along with it." Shadow laughed. "What?"

"You're always going along with everything. Never seemed stressed over much… I love you," Shadow whispered. They kissed. "Now let's get dressed." They started to dig through their packs, but Shadow stopped.

"We didn't pack any clothes, did we," Shadow stated.

"Nope," Sonic replied. "Where did we throw everything?" he asked as he searched around the small tent.

They picked up their discarded clothes and struggled to put them on. Once they were dressed, they crawled back out of the tent. Silver and Tails were waiting outside, their arms crossed, and an angry expression on their faces.

"What?" Sonic asked.

"You know, you should have thought that out," Silver said. "You're way too impulsive sometimes." Sonic shrugged.

"Well, we all laughed, didn't we?" Sonic replied.

"True," Tails responded.

"Anyways, we have more important things to do than complain about a prank," Shadow said. "We need to get into Eggman's base. Today." Sonic nodded.

"Then let's make breakfast and get going," Tails said. Within minutes, the water was boiling and four freeze-dried breakfasts were ready. After scarfing them down, Tails and Sonic took down the tents and packed them up. Sonic picked up his pack and started rifling through it.

"What are you looking for?" Tails asked.

"This!" Sonic said as he pulled out a black box.

Shadow's eyes widened.

"You brought that with you?" Shadow asked incredulously.

Tails looked between the two, a puzzled expression on his face.

"What are you guys talking about? What is that box?" he asked. Sonic set it down on the ground.

"Well, we found this in the math office. It seems to have some control over us. We don't know how it works, or who was using it."

Tails crouched down and picked it up, turning it over, inspecting every side.

"Interesting," he said. "Does it open?"

Sonic nodded. "There's a button on one of the corners."

Tails pushed the button and jumped a little as it popped open. He took off the top and looked at the contents.

"Any idea what the buttons do?" Sonic shook his head.

"We have no idea." Tails reached for a button. "But we don't want to find out!" Sonic hastily amended. Tails quickly pulled his hand back.

"Hmm," Tails mumbled. "Well, we can't get any information from this right now, let's bring it with us, just to see if we can find anything out." He put the top back on, and put it back in Sonic's backpack. "Now let's head off!" Tails consulted his GPS and pointed into the woods.

"Let's go!" Sonic said. He started jogging off.

"Wait!" Tails called. Sonic stopped and walked back.

"What is it now?" Sonic asked impatiently. Tails walked around to Shadow's back and dug through his pack.

"Hey!" Shadow protested.

"Oh, quit complaining," Tails said. "Aha!" Tails pulled out a new device, and flipped it open. "This will detect any electrical equipment. That way, we can avoid most security stuff."

"Where did you get that?" Shadow asked, intrigued.

"I built it myself!" Tails said proudly. "It works on… actually, it might be too technical to explain." Shadow shrugged.

"So long as it works." Tails punched a few buttons.

"Now we can go," Tails said. He lead the way into the forest.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: I'm going to cut it short there.<strong>

**Shadow: WHY? I want to explore the forest!**

**Me: That seemed better for the next chapter.**

**Sonic: SOME plot would have been nice.**

**Me: But it was fun to write!**

**Shadow: More plot.**

**Me: I promise.**

**REVIEW!**


	14. Getting to the Base

**Me: Well, here we go. The infiltration begins!**

**Sonic: Good. Now we get some action!**

**Shadow: Hope you have a lot planned!**

**Me: … Actually, I mostly make it up as I go along.**

**Sonic: Then let's hope your improv skills are good.**

**Me: I hope so too.**

* * *

><p>Tails kept a slow pace, slowly waving his electrical detector in front of him. Suddenly, he stopped and put up a hand to halt the others. He pointed to a small bush.<p>

"Someone check that," Tails commanded. Sonic cautiously approached the bush. Shadow leaned over to Silver.

"Damn. I didn't know Tail could be so strong. Guess I know who tops," Shadow whispered. Silver blushed heavily.

"That's none of your fucking business," Silver whispered furiously.

Shadow shrugged. Sonic peeked into the bush.

"It looks like a camera of some sort," Sonic called.

Tails walked over to Sonic's side. Sonic had exposed a small metal pole near the base of the bush. The camera had two lenses instead of one, one pointing right and the other pointing left.

"Hmm. It looks like a motion detector. There must be two other sensors close by. We need to find a different path," Tails said.

"Or, we could just do this," Silver said. He closed his eyes and Tails floated up in the air.

"Ack!" Tails yelped. Silver gently set him down on the other side. Tails' eyes flashed.

"Warn me the next time you do that!" Tails said loudly. Silver grinned and shrugged.

"There's an easier way," Sonic commented.

He jumped as high as he could and leapt over the invisible line. He landed on his feet, facing away from Silver. He looked over his should to Silver, a cocky grin on his face. Shadow leapt over, but stumbled a little. He pinwheeled his arms, about to fall backwards onto the barrier. Sonic flung his arm out and caught Shadow just in time. Shadow pulled his other arm closer to himself to avoid breaking the barrier. He looked into Sonic's ruby eyes.

"Thank you," he said softly. Sonic hauled him up.

"Not a problem!" Sonic replied.

Silver jumped over the beam.

"Now let's keep going!" Tails said.

He proceeded forward and held his device in front of him. The other three dutifully followed their orange friend. They walked for another twenty minutes without incident, until Tails stopped again. Sonic peeked over his shoulder, trying to get a look at the screen.

"What is it?" Sonic asked.

Tails looked harder at the screen.

"It's weird. It's a lot of electrical energy. I mean, more than just a camera or something… And it's moving towards us!"

Tails suddenly dove behind a nearby bush and the other three quickly found similar hiding spots. There was a loud whirring noise. Shadow peeked between the leaves of the bush he was hiding behind. His eyes widened when he saw a huge robot patrolling down the path they were just on. It had two legs, two arms, and a head, but other than that, it didn't look like a normal creature. It was too metallic for that.

The robot walked slowly, seemingly scanning the path. It slowly passed by their hiding spot and kept walking down the path. They waited another two minutes before they relaxed a little and crept out of hiding. Sonic noticed Tails was shaking.

"Tails, are you okay?" Sonic asked worriedly.

"I-I-I-I'm f-f-f-fine," Tails choked out.

He shivered a little more and Silver gave him a comforting hug. Tails melted and buried his face in Silver's chest fur. Shadow looked at Sonic.

"So Eggman's defenses are a bit different than expected. We need to be on our guard," Shadow stated.

Sonic nodded, his eyes strong. The pair looked at Tails.

"Tails, it's okay," Sonic said. "It's gone."

Tails took a deep breath and pulled away from Silver.

"I need to recalibrate the sensor," Tails said. He spent a few minutes punching different buttons and waited another minute or so. "Done. Now we can sense robots and electricity." He glanced at the GPS.

"How much farther to the base?" Sonic asked.

"It's about two more miles. That means about forty-five minutes of walking," Tails replied. Shadow groaned. "It's not as long as you think."

"Yeah, but we have traps to dodge, remember?" Shadow reminded Tails.

"Then we better get going," Sonic said.

The group started walking towards the base, Tails yet again in the lead. They hiked onwards, avoiding the motion sensors as they came across them and keeping an eye out for any robots. After another twenty minutes of walking, they stopped.

A huge, chain-link fence was standing in their way. Easily fifteen feet high with razor wire curled on the top. It seemed to stretch endlessly in each direction. Sonic walked up to it.

"Does anyone hear a faint buzzing sound?" Sonic asked.

Shadow cocked his head.

"No, I don't hear anything. Maybe there's a beehive nearby," Shadow replied.

Sonic shrugged and went to lean on the fence.

"Sonic, stop!" Tails screamed. Sonic froze. "It's an electric fence! You'll get fried!"

Sonic backed away slowly from the fence. He scratched his head.

"Now how do we get around it?" he asked. Silver chuckled, his eyes closed. "What?" Sonic demanded, clearly annoyed.

"This is so simple. Remember I can levitate things?" Silver said, gloating a little.

Sonic sighed.

"Then get to it!" Sonic commanded.

Silver closed his eyes in concentration and the four of them floated gently off the ground. Sonic yelped, unused to not touching the ground.

"Just relax," Silver said soothingly as he floated them over the fence. He gently deposited Tails and Shadow on their feet, but let Sonic fall the last six inches.

"Hey!" Sonic protested. "You did that on purpose!"

"Me? On purpose?" Silver said with his most innocent face on.

"Silv, apologize," Tails said.

"Fine," Silver sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Better," Tails said. Sonic got up and dusted himself off. "Now let's keep going." The four of them started walking towards the base. Past the fence, they found more sensors, cameras, and roaming robots. They seemed to avoid detection, thankfully.

"Eggman isn't fooling around with security!" Sonic commented. "I've never seen so many cameras before!"

"Well, this is his main headquarters. He's trying to keep intruders out," Tails responded. Tails' sensor beeped and the boys dove for cover. A robot passed overhead. They crept back out.

"I don't know how much more of this I can take," Silver said. "I'm getting sick of walking so slowly and hiding!" He kicked a tree in frustration.

"Calm down, Silver," Shadow said. "We're almost there, right Tails?" Tails nodded.

"We have less than a mile left. It's not much farther," Tails affirmed. They walked onwards for the last leg of the journey.

"Hey guys!" Sonic called. "I can see the edge of the forest!"

The group rushed forwards and stopped just before the edge, peeking over a bush. A large, open field separated them from the building. The field was a beautiful green with occasional flowers dotting the pristine landscape. The building itself look harmless. It was about three stories tall, with rows of glass for windows wrapping around it. There were a few smokestacks on one corner, belching white smoke. Another chain-link fence with razor wire surrounded the building. A small dirt road was on the right side. It seemed to wind through the forest and lead to a small gate at the fence.

They noticed a plume of dust rise up from the road in the forest and shrank back. A truck came into view and trundled along to the gate. An armed guard walked out and went to the driver's door. There was a brief exchange and the guard walked to the back. He opened the back and scanned the interior. Satisfied, he closed it and walked back to the driver. He said something to the driver and something else into the radio. The gate opened and the truck drove slowly through the gate and into the underground loading dock. The group sank down and army crawled back a few feet. They dropped their packs and sat down.

"We're never getting in there," Shadow sighed.

"Yes we will," Sonic reassured. "We just need to think of something." After a moment, Sonic turned his head to face Silver. "Silver," Sonic started. Silver raised his head. "Can you do anything psychically to the guards to let us through?" Silver shook his head.

"Nothing that would go unnoticed. Besides, we would be wide open in the field," he said, gesturing towards the field.

They sat for another moment in silence, each in deep thought. Shadow broke the silence.

"What if we snuck in on a truck?" Shadow suggested.

"What do you mean by that?" Tails asked, confused.

"Well, when the next truck comes in, we simply hide underneath."

"Easier said than done," Silver said, frustrated.

"We could put a roadblock in the way," Tails suggested. "I mean, there's probably lots of dead wood we could use. Something small so that they don't have to call anyone. While the driver's busy, we could sneak underneath and hold on." He turned to Silver. "And you could help with your telekinesis."

Silver sighed and rubbed his nose.

"Fine," he relented. "But we better do this fast."

"Not a problem," Sonic and Shadow said together. They looked at each other and grinned.

"Then let's get going," Tails said, getting up.

The group headed towards the road, making sure to avoid sensors, cameras, and robots. They walked for another ten minutes, when Sonic suddenly stopped. Shadow looked at him.

"What's up Sonic?" Shadow asked.

Sonic's nose was in the air. He sniffed a few times, and his stomach rumbled.

"I smell a chili dog," Sonic stated. He dashed off towards the scent.

Shadow lunged to grab him, but missed.

"SONIC!" Shadow called, but he was gone. They glanced at each other for a split second and raced to catch up to him. Tails brought up the scanner.

"Nothing this way. He should be okay," Tails said. Sonic was just up ahead. He was stock-still.

"Sonic!" Shadow called.

Sonic turned around. But it wasn't Sonic. The trio froze, eyes wide. It couldn't be Sonic. It was made of some black and red metal. The eyes were black with red irises. The hands were silver and the shoes were the same color, but obviously metal. The mechanical monster strode confidently towards the three. It stopped a few feet away. Its eyes flashed at Shadow with a green light. The clone closed its eyes and slowly started to change.

It turned from black to blue, and started to get more of Sonic's body's characteristics. It turned into a robot version of Sonic's body. It opened its eyes, which hadn't changed at all.

"I have come for the ones called Sonic and Shadow," the monster said in a metallic voice. Silver rolled his eyes and closed them. He snapped them back open.

"Crap. My mind jolt doesn't work on him," Silver whispered. Tails casually slipped a hand into Silver's pack.

"If you do not comply, force will be necessary," it said.

Tails pulled out a small metallic cylinder. He grinned slightly to himself, pushed a button on the side, and lobbed it towards the metal monstrosity. It looked down at the cylinder, which beeped quietly. The robot suddenly powered down and fell to the ground with a thud.

"Phew, that was close," Tails sighed.

"What was that?" Shadow asked.

"An EMP grenade," Tails replied. "It shorts out electronics in a small radius. We were outside it, so nothing got damaged here. But I wonder what this Metal Sonic is made of."

Ever the inventor, Tails walked over to the robot and tried to pry open its head. After a little searching, Tails found the panel and opened it. He was greeted by a rat's nest of wires.

"Hmm…" Tails muttered. "It doesn't look like it could contact the main base. It seems to be autonomous." Shadow's eyebrow rose in confusion. "That means it functions by itself. It doesn't need any commands. But I need to disconnect the main computer so it can't chase us. Let's see…" Tails dug through Metal Sonic's brain. "Aha!" Tails said triumphantly. He had found the CPU. He pulled a few wires out. "Done. He can't bother us anymore." He stood up and wiped his hands on his pants.

"Now where did Sonic go?" Shadow asked. "This robot asked for both of us, so where did he go?" Silver shrugged. "SONIC!" Shadow called.

"Over here!" came the faint reply.

"Come on!" Shadow said urgently, rushing off in the direction the voice came from. Tails flew ahead, his electrical detector in hand.

"The locators were in Sonic's backpack!" Tails called back. "We'll find him in no time." He sped ahead, following the dots on his sensor. Shadow and Silver rushed to keep up with him. Tails touched down on the ground and spun around a few times, looking very confused. Shadow and Silver slid to a stop.

"What's going on, Tails?" Silver asked. Tails turned around again.

"It's weird. It says that the sensors are right here, but I don't see them anywhere," Tails said, scanning the ground.

"They are," came a voice.

Silver and Shadow whirled around, tensed. The three came back to back and scanned the surrounding forest. There was a whistle.

"Up here," the voice said.

The three slowly looked up. Sonic's foot was caught in a snare, and he was dangling ten feet above the ground.

"Hey guys," Sonic said, waving.

Tails tried to muffle a laugh. Silver snorted and soon enough all three of them were rolling on the ground, laughing.

"It's not funny!" Sonic shouted.

The three kept on laughing. Tails wiped his eyes.

"Okay, Sonic, we'll get you down," Tails said. He flew up next to Sonic and started untying the rope.

"Hey! I'm gonna fall!" Sonic protested.

"No, you're not. Right, Silver?" Tails said. Silver nodded and closed his eyes.

As Tails finally untied the knot, Sonic yelled, sure he was going to fall. He was still suspended in the air when he realized Silver was holding him in place. He gradually floated back to the ground and was deposited on his feet. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks, guys," Sonic said.

"You had to go chasing after that chili dog, didn't you," Silver said curtly. Sonic shrugged. "Didn't you even stop to think it was a trap?"

"Well, it crossed my mind, but my stomach said otherwise," Sonic said. He licked his glove clean of the remaining chili. "And it was worth it!" Shadow smiled.

"At least you're safe," Shadow said. Sonic smiled. "But something happened while we were looking for you."

Sonic's eyebrow rose. The three told him of Metal Sonic and that Tails had deactivated him.

"That's really creepy," Sonic said once they were done. "I mean, a me look-a-like?" Sonic shuddered.

"Well, it can't bother us anymore," Tails reassured. "Now let's get to the road."

The group walked ahead for a little while. Sonic suddenly stopped.

"What is it now?" Silver asked impatiently.

Sonic shook his head and stared at the ground ahead of them.

"What is it?" Shadow asked.

"I don't know," Sonic responded. "Something feels… wrong. Like there's something I should know about this place." Tails looked at his sensor.

"It says there isn't any electricity here, so it might be another low-tech trap like before," Tails said.

"But I don't see any snares or rope," Shadow said. Silver closed his eyes.

"But I sense what it is." The group looked at Silver questioningly.

The leaves in front of them lifted up and scattered to reveal a deep pit. Shadow crawled to the edge of the pit and looked in.

"Looks like quite a drop. Nice catch." He walked back. "Silver, can you float us over?" Silver nodded and the group rose into the air and landed on the other side of the pit. "Thank you."

"Now let's get to that road!" Tails insisted.

After another two minutes, they saw a break in the trees.

"Looks like we finally got to it," Sonic said. Tails peeked out.

"We're behind a bend in the road, so we should avoid being seen. And the sensor doesn't show any electrical activity either. Now let's make a roadblock!"

"Too bad Knucks isn't here. He could knock down a tree easily," Sonic said.

"We don't need him," Tails said.

Shadow's brow furrowed in confusion. Tails opened Shadow's backpack and pulled out a small cylinder.

"What is it?" Shadow asked.

"Basically a light saber," Tails responded.

He hit a button and a red beam shot three feet out. Shadow jumped back a few feet in shock. Tails found a tall, slightly thick tree near the road and sliced a little at the base. The tree toppled over and blocked the road. Tails hit the button again and the blade disappeared.

"No burn marks?" Shadow asked.

Tails shook his head.

"Nope. Besides, it just looks like it fell over."

Suddenly, they heard a truck coming. They hid behind a bush. The truck came into view and stopped right before the toppled tree. The driver opened the door and got out.

"Hey! I need some help out here!" the driver called.

Three other guys came out and they all started to move the tree.

"Now's our chance!" Sonic whispered.

The four dashed out and hid underneath the truck. They tried to get handholds and held on as tight as they could. Silver closed his eyes and helped all of them out a little. Shadow breathed a small sigh of relief from not having to hold himself too much.

After a few more minutes, the truck started moving again. They held tightly and tried not to make any noise. The truck stopped again for inspection at the gate. The truck passed and drove forward into the loading dock. Once it pulled to a stop, the boys dropped down to the ground. The driver and the others got out.

"Ugh. I hate driving to here. Let's all get a good rest in the break lounge," the driver said.

The other voiced their agreements. The driver walked up to a control panel. The door wooshed open and the truckers entered the building. Sonic peeked out from under the truck.

"There are cameras everywhere here. How are we going to avoid them?" Sonic asked.

"Are they wireless?" Tails asked. Sonic peeked out again.

"I have no idea," Sonic responded honestly. Tails pulled a laptop out of Sonic's backpack.

"How much stuff did you bring?" Shadow asked incredulously.

"Enough to get us in and out," Tails responded. He typed a few commands into the computer. "Got it." Sonic crawled to Tails' side. On the screen were the cameras for the garage.

"Now let's see what we can see," Tails said as he typed more into the laptop.

The camera for the other side of the door showed the hallway was empty. Tails typed a new command and the cameras in the loading dock popped up.

"There," Tails said after a few deft keystrokes. "The cameras are on a loop right now. We should be undetected."

The boys crawled out from the under the truck and stretched. Tails made a beeline to the pad next to the door. He laughed.

"What is it?" Sonic asked.

"It's a palm reader. These are easy," Tails said.

He breathed on the pad, the moisture in his breath stuck to the oils on the pad. The scanner scanned the palm print on the screen.

"Welcome," the mechanical voice said.

The door opened and the boys rushed in.

* * *

><p>"Backup power supply functional. Backup CPU functional," a mechanical voice said back in the forest. "Proceeding to objective. Sonic and Shadow will be captured."<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Wow, that was long. I made up for the last chapter!<strong>

**Sonic: And then some! That was awesome!**

**Shadow: Agreed. Now start the next chapter!**

**Me: I will. Very soon.**

**REVIEW!**


	15. Setting Up

**Me: Next chapter!**

**Sonic: Finally! Let's explore a little!**

**Shadow: What do you have planned? **

**Me: You'll have to wait and see.**

**Sonic: Then get started!**

* * *

><p>Tails scanned the hallway in front of him. It was completely empty, but long. The bright white floor and walls blinded them for a moment. Sonic softly ran over to a nearby door and put his ear to it. After a brief moment, he could tell the room was empty. He motioned for the rest of them to follow as he opened the door and went inside.<p>

The room was pitch dark, but Tails flicked on the lights when he darted in. They looked around the room. It looked like a meeting room. A large table was in the center, with many office chairs circled around it. Tails pushed a few chairs aside and put down his laptop on the table. He flipped it open and started typing commands. Shadow peeked over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm hacking into the mainframe. You guys are going to need eyes in there, so that's gotta be me," Tails responded.

Sonic put his backpack down on the table and started pulling out the contents. Shadow and Silver followed suit. Tails looked up and started to sift through the pile they had made.

"Now what are you looking for?" Shadow asked.

Tails shook his head and kept looking.

"Aha!" Tails said after a few moments. He pulled two small ear-pieces. "Sonic, Shadow, put these in. I need to stay in contact with you at all times. The frequency is encrypted, so we should avoid detection."

Sonic took one and put it in his ear. Shadow picked up his and looked at it.

"Do I have to do this?" Shadow asked.

Tails and Sonic nodded.

"If you don't," Tails said, "and you and Sonic get separated, I can't help you."

Shadow sighed and put it in. His ear twitched.

"That's pretty uncomfortable," Shadow complained.

"Oh, get over it, pansy," Sonic teased.

Shadow glared at him and Sonic returned with his usual cocky grin. Shadow sighed.

"Now, here's some more gear you're going to need," Tails said as he piled more of the stuff into Shadow and Sonic's arms.

Silver looked at Tails.

"If they're exploring, then what am I doing?" Silver whined.

"You're supposed to stand there, and look pretty for me," Tails said without looking away from his computer screen.

"Hey!" Silver said. He crossed his arms.

Tails stopped and looked at him.

"I'm teasing, Silver," Tails said with a grin.

Silver glared at Tails, who looked back with an innocent expression.

"Silver might be useful in sensing people around us that you won't find in time," Sonic pointed out.

Tails sighed and rubbed his nose.

"Fine. But you better stay safe!" Tails said. "I don't want to lose you, Silv," Tails said with a worried expression.

"I'll be fine," Silver reassured.

Tails sighed heavily.

"I still worry about you," Tails said. "So be careful, okay?" Silver nodded. "You're going to need some gear too." Tails pulled out another ear piece and gave Silver an armful of gear.

"Do we have any small packs?" Sonic asked. "These packs are too bulky for a stealth mission. Something light."

Tails dug through the pile and pulled out three fabric knapsacks.

"Jeez, Tails," Shadow commented. "How the hell did you know to bring all of this?"

"I just planned for the worst of everything," Tails responded with a shrug.

Sonic carefully placed his gear into the pack.

"You got this, buddy," Sonic said, giving Tails a thumbs-up. "Make sure we're covered from any electronic devices."

"I will," Tails responded. "Now get going! We want to get this over with!"

"But we don't even know where we're going!" Shadow protested. "We came here to scope it out. We've seen the outside, and it was really hard to get in here. Recon is a bit pointless because we probably won't have another chance." Sonic opened his mouth but Shadow raised a hand to stop him. "We can't come back. Eggman will notice our entry eventually, and he will fix security. We have to change back."

There was a brief silence in the group, each in their own thoughts. Sonic broke the silence first.

"You're right, Shadow. We have to change back. But we don't even know where to start looking!" Sonic said.

"Well, we have the map," Tails said.

Shadow whirled around.

"Where is it?" he demanded.

"Right here," Tails said, turning his laptop around. A 3-D map was displayed on the computer screen. "Now, let's see where to start." Tails went through the map. He shook his head. "There's nothing on the map that shows anything that could help. We have gem polishing, mining operation, chemical production, robot design… nothing that says anything about psychic anything."

Shadow sighed.

"So we came here for nothing," he grumbled.

"Wait," Tails said. "There's something weird about this map."

The boys crowded around Tails.

"What is it?" Sonic asked, intrigued.

Tails pointed at the screen.

"According to the map, there's nothing here. It's just a dead end. But look at this." He pulled up a camera feed. "This is the same hallway, but there's a door there."

Sonic looked at it for a moment.

"Tails, see if you can find another map," Sonic said.

"But this was the first and only map I could find," Tails said.

Sonic shook his head.

"This is just for the lower level people. There's got to be another map somewhere that shows what's behind that door."

"Give me a minute," Tails said. He typed for another solid minute. "Got it." The map flashed briefly, and everyone's eyes widened.

Below the main facility were twenty more floors. Each seemed more ominous than the last. _Genetic Engineering, Failure Disposal, Chaos Control, Beam Manufacturing, _the list kept going on. But the layout was slightly different. It wasn't a cut and dried square building. There were what seemed to be tunnels and large chambers that didn't seem natural, but didn't look man-made either. Sonic ignored the strange schematic.

"There," Sonic said pointing to the screen. "Psychic testing. That has to be it!" It was the thirteenth floor down.

"Now how are we going to get there, genius?" Shadow asked sarcastically.

Sonic's enthusiasm abruptly died down. He sat on one of the chairs and started thinking.

"Well, we could just walk down," Sonic offered.

"Right," Shadow cut in. "We'll just waltz down the hallways, and go through all the security!"

"Well, we have Tails behind us," Sonic argued.

"Yes, we do, but if something **does **go wrong, and it will, we'll be wide open for capture. Next idea?" Shadow said.

"Air ducts?" Sonic suggested. Shadow rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, because no one's **ever **done that before."

Sonic sighed.

"Well, what do you have in mind?" Sonic said strongly.

Shadow opened his mouth, then closed it. He opened it again, and shut it. He was fresh out of ideas.

"You just cut out the only ways down," Tails said. "But I think that the hallways are actually safer than the air ducts. I'm sure Eggman's watching them very carefully for movement." Sonic and Shadow were silent for a minute. "Now, I am inside the computer system, but I do have limits. There are some security systems I can't hack into or shut off for you. You may have to shut them down yourselves. Silver can sense anyone nearby and can help with avoiding the workers. If you find a computer that I can't get into, take this and plug it in." Tails removed a flash drive from his laptop and tossed it to Sonic.

Sonic looked at the tiny piece of black plastic.

"That flash drive has a powerful virus that allows me to gain access," said Tails. "Plus, it can hack just about any password. Keep. It. Safe," Tails commanded. Sonic and Shadow nodded. "I can't guarantee what you'll see in the elevators. It may be empty, or it may have people in it. Silver will check that. People may also get on. To not be seen, you'll have to climb up on top. Remove the grate on the ceiling and get up on top of the elevator. We can't risk being seen, okay?" The group nodded. Tails had taken command of the situation. He seemed to know everything that could possibly happen.

"But what about you?" Silver asked worriedly. "What if they need this conference room and you're in it?"

Tails smiled sadly.

"I don't know," he said. "If that does happen, I'll do my best to pack everything up and fly out of here in time. But trust me, Silver, okay?"

Silver smiled sadly and nodded.

"I trust you. But please be safe!"

"So where do we start?" asked Sonic.

"We are here," Tails said pointing to the screen. "And the elevator is over here."

Sonic looked at the map.

"Doesn't look that hard," commented Sonic.

"We don't know who or what will be coming down the hallway. You guys need to go really slowly so I can fix the cameras for you. But I'll be talking to you the entire way down. These ear pieces have an awesome range. I still need to set up a few things here, so don't go anywhere." Tails dug through the pile on the table and started to pull out more electronic equipment.

Shadow shook his head.

"How the hell did he know to bring all of that?" he wondered aloud.

"I told you," Sonic said, "he prepared for the worst."

"But what if something happens? What if someone needs to come into this room?" Shadow asked.

Sonic shrugged.

"He'll figure something out. He's smart enough. But what about you? Are you going to be okay?" Sonic asked.

"I'm fine," Shadow said. "What about you?"

"I'll be fine," Sonic stated.

Shadow's eyebrow rose in worry.

"So you're saying you're **not** okay right now?"

Sonic sank down on one of the chairs.

"It's just… I'm worried about what will happen. What if Eggman captures us? What if we can't switch back? What if something happens to Tails or Silver? I couldn't live with myself knowing I brought them into danger and they paid for it." Sonic buried his face in his hands.

Shadow pulled up a chair next to Sonic and started to gently massage his shoulders.

"It will be okay. They came here because they wanted to. Even so, we need them. Without them, what could we have done?"

Sonic sighed.

"You're right. But what about you?" Sonic asked, looking up. Shadow noticed a few tears gathering at the bottom of Sonic's eyes. "I love you, and I don't want to lose you. I **can't **lose you!" A few tears streaked his face. He turned and leaned his head on Shadow's blue shoulder. His whole frame wracked in a sob.

"I've been losing so much. I can't bear to lose something else so important to me!" Sonic sobbed again.

Shadow slowly, but lovingly stroked Sonic's quills and pulled him in a warm embrace. A few sympathetic tears started forming in his eyes.

"Sh, sh, sh, sh, sh, sh," Shadow cooed. "You're not going to lose me. I love you, Sonic. You're not going to get rid of me. Even if you tried."

Sonic said nothing. He got up and sat down on Shadow's lap and curled up as best as he could with his head on Shadow's shoulder. Shadow smiled softly and wrapped his arms around Sonic.

"Hey guy-" Tails started, but Shadow shot him a withering glare and cut him off. Tails noticed what was going on and nodded. Sonic sniffled a little more. Shadow squeezed him gently.

"Sonic, it will be okay. If something bad happens, we'll deal with it then. Right now, we still have each other. Tails and Silver _want _to be here. If they were afraid, they would have backed out a long time ago. But they care for both of us. We can do this," Shadow reassured.

Sonic took a deep breath, but it turned into another sob. Shadow mentally sighed, but kissed Sonic gently.

An intense pain flashed across both of their heads. They cried out and clutched their heads, trying to massage away the pain. Tails and Silver rushed over, hoping to figure out how to help. A scene flashed through Shadow's head.

* * *

><p>"C'mon! We're almost out!" a voice shouted. Shadow looked up.<p>

Sonic was standing by a control panel, but he was in Shadow's body. Sonic typed some sort of code into the panel and the door opened.

"Yes!" Shadow heard himself say.

The two rushed out through the door, into the bright sunlight. Shadow looked around. They didn't seem anywhere near the main building. They had come out of a door in a small hill in the center of the forest. Sonic rushed ahead.

"Wait up!" Shadow shouted. As he caught up, Sonic slapped at his neck.

"Stupid bugs," he grumbled. Shadow felt something bite at his neck too. But instead of slapping, he pulled it off. It wasn't a bug. It was a small dart.

"Sonic…" Shadow called softly.

"What is it?" Sonic asked nervously.

Shadow held out his hand, showing the dart. It had a small feather end, and the tip had a drop of blue liquid at the end. Sonic's eyes widened.

"It's not… poison, is it?" Sonic asked worriedly. Shadow looked at it.

"No. This is one of the other experiments I saw. Amnesia liquid." They locked eyes. "We won't remember each other."

Sonic walked up to Shadow and kissed him strongly.

"How could we not remember each other?" Sonic demanded. "We've been through so much!"

"We just will. We need to get home. Each other's homes, actually, and make it look like nothing happened. If it works out, we'll find each other again," Shadow reassured.

Sonic nodded.

"Then let's run!"

They ran out of the forest and made towards town.

* * *

><p>"Ow," Shadow groaned, massaging his head. He looked at Sonic and they locked eyes.<p>

"Did you see…" Sonic started.

"Our escape?" Shadow offered.

Sonic nodded.

"That explains a bit," Sonic said.

Shadow thought for a moment.

_So we escaped together, and we were still in love. That explains that unexplained attraction. And it explains why we don't remember anything. But I do love him. There's no question about that. _

"What did you guys see?" Tails asked. Shadow relayed what he had seen and Sonic added what he had seen as well.

"Huh. Well, that's interesting," Tails commented. He looked over at Silver. "Can you check for that mental block thingy?"

Silver nodded and closed his eyes.

"It's still there, but it feels weaker than before," Silver said as he opened his eyes. "It will all come back eventually."

"Well, let's get going. We have a lot to do," Shadow said.

Sonic wiped his eyes one last time and nodded.

"Silver," Sonic said, "is there anyone outside?"

Silver closed his eyes.

"Nope, we're clear."

The three walked over to the door.

"Good luck guys!" Tails said. "I'll be with you all the way."

Shadow nodded and twisted the doorknob to open it. Sonic peered out into the hallway. No one was around so he dashed to the closest hallway corner. Shadow and Silver stalked to his side. Silver nodded, telling that there was no one around. They dashed down the hallway at supersonic speed and reached the elevator door.

"We're here," Sonic said.

"I'm opening the doors now," Tails said through the earpiece.

The door whooshed open and hey all rushed inside. Sonic gasped slightly.

"Tails..." he said softly.

"What is it?" Tails asked.

"This is unbelievable," Silver breathed.

"What the hell is it?" Shadow said aloud.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: That was fun to write.<strong>

**Sonic: But not much happened. You just had me break down again.**

**Me: Well, wouldn't you? **

**Sonic: … I don't know.**

**Shadow: You would. You can't bear to lose my sexy body.**

**Sonic: True.**

**Me: Well, that's the end of this chapter!**

**REVIEW!**


	16. Infiltrating the Base part I

**Me: Let's explore Eggman's base!**

**Sonic: Good. What do you have in mind?**

**Me: I have quite a few things. But I needed a little help.**

**Shadow: Anything really devious?**

**Me: You never know.**

**Sonic: Tell us!**

**Me: Nope. Then the chapter would be pointless. Now let me start.**

* * *

><p>It wasn't an elevator. It was still a small, square room, but there was something in the center. It looked like a large glass tube, but it had wires and cables streaming out of the top, a sturdy metal base on the bottom, and it was connected to a control panel a few feet away. There was a door into the tube that was hanging open at the moment. The three looked at it for a little while, circling, trying to figure out what it was. Sonic walked over to the panel.<p>

"Look at this, guys," he called softly.

There was a small display on the panel. There was a small picture of it with parts labeled in some foreign language. Next to the screen was an array of buttons. Sonic reached out and pushed one on an impulse. A loud whirring sound filled the room and the tube started to glow.

"Teleportation in five," a female voice said.

The boys' eyes widened in fear. They dove behind the panel to hide from the tube.

"Three, two, one, teleportation failed. Please close door."

The whirring slowed down and stopped. The boys crawled out from their hiding place and stared in awe at the device.

"Teleportation…" Silver said after a while.

"That's awesome!" Tails shouted. "Can you figure out where it will lead to?"

"There are too many buttons. It could go anywhere. Tails, see of you can find any more of these pods," Sonic said.

"I'm on it," Tails replied.

"I can't believe this…" Sonic breathed. "We could go right to the lab!"

"Or we could teleport right in the middle of an army," Shadow pointed out.

"This is in a separate room. A tiny room. What are the chances that there will be an army in here?" Sonic countered.

"You're right. Now which button do we push to get to the lab?" Shadow asked.

He walked over and peered over Sonic's shoulder at the panel. Each button was labeled, but in some strange foreign language. Sonic shook his head.

"This makes no sense. Let's just push one and see where it goes!" Sonic said. He pushed a button. Dashing around, he scooped up Shadow and Silver and ran into the teleporter, shutting the door. A bright white light surrounded them and they vanished.

An instant later, they reappeared. Sonic pushed open the door and the trio tumbled out. Shadow got up as fast as he could and scanned the room. It looked exactly the same as the other one.

"Way to go, Sonic," he said sarcastically. "We're in the same room."

"No, you're not!" Tails said.

"What do you mean, Tails?" Shadow replied. "It looks exactly the same!"

"But you're now six floors underground! Let's see… you're on a psychic level, but it's not the right one," Tails said. "Try another button." Shadow looked around.

"There's no panel here," he said slowly. "It was a one-way trip. Tails, can you find another pod for us?"

"Looking right now," Tails replied. "I found one," he said after a few seconds. "You're going to going to have to be careful. It's on the other end of the floor. Go out the door and follow the corridor until it comes to a T. Then make a right, a left, straight through a large room, then…"

"Hold on, Tails," Shadow interrupted. "I can't remember all of that!"

"Sorry. Just go out of the door and go straight until I tell you otherwise."

Shadow looked at Silver, who nodded. Sonic twisted the doorknob and peeked out. No one was around. They sprinted down the hallway and screeched to a halt as a door opened. A few voices drifted over the door. Shadow quickly looked around for a hiding place. Silver noticed a door behind them and wrenched it open. He levitated the two others and brought them inside. As soon as they were clear, he shut the door with a soft click.

They listened intently for any sign of being seen. After a few moments, they breathed a sigh of relief. Sonic looked around at the room they were in. It was mostly bare except for a few chairs. But the chairs were facing a set of windows. Sonic got up, confused as to why there would be windows underground. He walked to them and his eyes widened.

"Guys…" he said softly.

"What is it?" Silver asked. He looked out the window and stared. Shadow got up to see what they were so enthralled about. The windows were facing a gigantic underground cavern. It didn't look manmade, but it definitely wasn't natural. It looked almost organic. Some of the walls were pulsing slightly, and there were streams of some red tinted liquid flowing to and from some of the hallways.

Sonic gasped as a gigantic tentacle thrust through the liquid. A few more erupted out and started to wave slightly in the air. The floors looked swirled and everything was tinted some shade of purple. Down one hallway, however, a bright white light was pouring out.

"Wh-wh-what is this place?" Sonic breathed.

"I-I-I don't know," Shadow confessed.

They gazed in wonder at the enormous structure in front of them.

"What do you guys see?" Tails asked.

"It looks like a cave, but it seems… alive somehow," Silver said.

"The map doesn't show anything like that," Tails responded. "Just a few tunnels that lead to the direction you're facing."

"Let's worry about this later," Sonic said. "We need to get to the next teleporter."

Shadow and Silver nodded and went back to the door.

"The coast is clear," Silver said.

They ventured out again and started walking to the next teleporter.

"Okay, you're about to come to a T. Make a right," Tails said. Sonic spotted the corner and peeked around. No one was in sight so he dashed down. Shadow and Silver were right behind him.

"Go right!" Tails commanded. Sonic spun around the corner and found a large door. He stopped in his tracks.

"There's a door here," Sonic commented.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Shadow said sarcastically.

"You need to go through that room. The teleporter is just on the other side," Tails said. Shadow went up to the door and turned the handle. He stepped inside. He blinked a few times. It didn't look like a scientific lab or a room that would be in the building. It looked like Sonic's room! Sonic was there, but he was still in Shadow's body. He was posed seductively on the bed.

"Come here, sexy," he murmured. Shadow melted and jumped into Sonic's arms, kissing him passionately. Sonic moaned loudly into the kiss and started to fondle Shadow's balls. Shadow felt himself starting to get hard and broke the kiss. Sonic looked concerned.

"What's wrong baby?" he asked. Shadow smirked.

"Nothing. But you need some attention too." He pecked Sonic on the lips one last time and lowered himself level to Sonic's crotch. Shadow licked his lips hungrily and engulfed Sonic's entire member into his mouth. Sonic groaned and laced his fingers in Shadow's quills. Shadow bobbed his head slowly.

"Damn you, Shadow. Stop teasing!" Sonic complained. Shadow licked Sonic from the base to the tip, giving a small kiss on the end. Sonic whimpered slightly. Shadow stood up and positioned himself right on top.

"Just enjoy," Shadow said. He lowered himself down, ever so slowly onto Sonic's rock hard dick. Shadow relaxed as much as he could and sat completely on Sonic's crotch. Sonic groaned in appreciation. Shadow looked lovingly into Sonic's eyes. Sonic's ruby red orbs stared into Shadow's green eyes.

"This isn't real, Shadow," Sonic said.

"I know. I can't believe I fell in love with you," Shadow responded.

"No. You're dreaming. Wake up!" Sonic said.

Shadow jolted awake. He looked around. The room had vanished. He was standing in a large room. The room was bare and completely white. Sonic's hand was on Shadow's shoulder. Silver was stock still, a smile on his face and a bulge at his crotch.

"Are you okay?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah," Shadow replied. "We should wake up Silver." Sonic walked over and shook Silver's shoulder. He instantly snapped out of it.

"What the -" Silver started.

"We were dreaming," Shadow said. "I'm guessing our happiest place." He nodded at Silver's crotch. Silver looked down and covered himself in slight embarrassment.

"I guess we all know where mine was…" he said.

"Let's keep going. We're probably close to the teleporter now," Sonic said.

At the other end of the room was a door. The three dashed over, hoping nothing more would happen. Silver opened the door and the three went inside. Shadow walked over to the panel and looked at the buttons.

"Which button should I press?" Shadow asked.

"Just pick one," Silver replied.

Shadow twirled his finger around and pushed a button. The three piled into the teleporter and vanished. They stepped out of the next teleporter. Silver stretched.

"Ow, my back hurts. Next time, maybe we should go separately," Silver said.

"I kinda like that idea," Sonic said.

"Let's just keep going. Tails, where are we?" Shadow asked.

"Uh… you're on the third floor now," Tails responded. Shadow groaned.

"Where's the next pod?" he asked.

"Go straight from here…" Tails started.

"But I'm gay!" Silver protested.

Shadow started to chuckle and then started to laugh. Sonic joined in.

"You can't see me rolling my eyes right now," Tails commented. "Just go down the hallway. This looks like a genetics research lab. Be careful," Tails said.

The three boys walked cautiously down the hallway.

"Do you think it's weird we haven't seen many people today?" Shadow asked.

"Yeah, it is a little strange," Silver replied. "Maybe Eggman knows about us and is actually luring us into a trap!" he said worriedly.

"That would be a genius plan," Sonic said dryly.

"You have a point," Shadow said. "Let's just keep walking." After a few minutes, they came to a large door.

"Through there?" Silver asked.

"Yep," Tails said. "From the layout, there are a bunch of cages on the sides and one giant one in the center. Do not touch them."

Silver reached out and turned the handle to walk inside. Tails was right. There were lots of cages. But they were all empty.

All the creatures that were once inside were roaming the lab.

Attached to some of the walls were blobs with a single, large yellow eye in the center and three horns around it. On the other side of the room, there were more creatures. But these didn't look anything like the blobs. They were roughly humanoid in shape and height, but had reptilian features. They had yellow eyes, green scaly skin, and small horns sticking out by their hands and feet.

Up by the ceiling more monsters flew around. Some of them were small, and looked like white and red bats. But a few others had wingspans of about six feet. They had broad bluish scaly wings with three tips and the edges were tinted blood red. They had a long, flowing tail that went from dark blue to blood red at the tip. With four yellow eyes, they looked at the small group that had entered. But they weren't the worst.

Flying in the center was a massive monstrosity. It was facing the group and stared at them with one large green eye. It looked almost grub-like, but it had two red wings keeping it aloft. It was mostly gray, but was red all across the top. The wings beat slowly, barely keeping the blubbery body off the ground. Two appendages covered its mouth. They opened up and an ear-piercing screech emitted, followed by a ball of fire aimed at the hedgehogs.

* * *

><p><strong>Sonic: THAT'S IT?<strong>

**Me: Yep. This is only part one of the infiltration.**

**Shadow: Come ON! You cut off right there?**

**Me: Of course! I LOVE cliffhangers. Even if you and my readers don't.**

**Sonic: If they're this far, they want to read more anyways.**

**Me: True, but it's too much fun to write it like that.**

**REVIEW!**


	17. Infiltrating the Base part II

**Sonic: So what do you have planned now? And what took you so long?**

**Me: Sorry. Drama and finals got in the way... But I have lots planned. Too much to actually tell. You'll have to wait and see.**

**Shadow: Fuck you! You're always doing this! Just keep it short and sweet!**

**Me: But then that's boring.**

**Shadow: At least you get rid of all the fucking cliffhangers!**

**Me: But those are so much fun!**

**Sonic: So how do we escape these monsters?**

**Me: That's what I'm writing.**

**Sonic: Then start!**

* * *

><p>"Scatter!" Silver yelled. The three of them dove away from each other. The ball of flames impacted right where they were standing and some flames erupted out. The monster screeched again and a few of the small flying creatures dove from the ceiling towards them. Shadow dashed off and collided with one of the eyeball creatures.<p>

The talons closed with a snap and pinned Shadow to the creature. Shadow cried out in pain as the creature started to suck life out of him.

"Shadow!" Silver screamed.

"What's happening?" Tails asked worriedly.

Sonic and Silver dashed over to Shadow and tried to pry the talons apart. But the creature was too strong. Silver sent a mind blast to the monster, who shrieked, let go of Shadow and shriveled.

"Thanks," Shadow said, panting heavily. He glanced up and suddenly tackled Silver to the ground. A ball of blue flame struck the wall where they were half a second before.

"The creatures that were in the cages have escaped!" Silver hastily explained to Tails. "Please tell me you have weapons in our packs."

"No, I didn't. This was going to be a stealth mission. Not a fight. But plug in the USB in a computer for me. I need to see what Eggman's been doing in there," Tails said.

"On it," Sonic affirmed.

Silver glanced up. The humanoid creatures were slowly walking towards them. They seemed to be scoping them out, measuring their weaknesses. They seemed more than just dumb animals.

"Uh oh," Shadow breathed.

"I'll get rid of them," Sonic said. He dashed off and circled behind them. He whistled loudly. "Bet you can't catch me!" he shouted. He dashed off again, with half of them in pursuit. The flying maggot screeched again and shot a ball of fire towards Sonic. It missed him and fried his pursuers to a crisp.

"I'll get the rest," Shadow said. He whistled at the monster. "Hey! Come and get me!" he shouted, waving his arms. The maggot flew backwards to get a better shot at Shadow.

"What are you doing, Shadow?" Silver said worriedly.

"I got this," Shadow responded over his shoulder. He ran to the humanoids and the maggot belched another fire ball. Shadow dodged through them all and just barely escaped the blast. An ember from the flames touched down on Shadow's fur. He sniffed the air, smelling something burning and noticed his arm. He shouted in surprise and started to flail about. He suddenly came to his senses and patted the flames out.

"Are you okay?" Silver asked.

"Just dandy," Shadow said dryly.

A chorus of shrieks echoed from the ceiling as some of the flying creatures descended. Sonic dashed to the computer bank and plugged in the flash drive. Shadow raced by, a creature hot on his tail. Another creature paused high up and shot a blue aura towards Shadow. He caught the full brunt of the attack and collapsed to the ground.

"**Shadow!**" Sonic cried, rushing to his fallen boyfriend. He scooped him up and took him under a table. Silver dashed over.

"Is he okay?" he asked. Shadow groaned.

"I'll be fine. Just a little rest is all I need," Shadow replied weakly. Silver gave a small smile. His features hardened again.

"We need to get out of here," Silver said.

"The download's done! You can pull the USB out now," Tails said.

Sonic pulled out the flash drive and ran back. The maggot shrieked and threw another fireball at Sonic as he was running. Sonic jumped out of the way and dove under the table. He rolled once and crashed into the back.

"Ow," Sonic said. Shadow shook his head.

"Let's leave. Now," Shadow said.

"There's a door on the other side of the room," Sonic said. "It's electronically locked right now, but I'm sure Tails can open it."

Silver peeked out. One of the large flying creatures zoomed past Silver's head. He ducked back underneath.

"Tails, what can you do about that lock?" Silver asked.

"I'm on it. Once you guys get out, I'll be able to tell you what's going on in that lab," Tails replied. The table shook suddenly. Silver and Shadow locked eyes.

"Uh oh," they breathed.

The table lifted up and was suddenly thrown to one side of the room. They looked up. The maggot was leering down at them, somehow looking triumphant. It screeched again and took a big breath. The three boys dashed out of the way and ran towards the door.

"Tails!" Shadow shouted. "Open the goddamned door!"

There was a beep and the lock on the door clicked open. Silver wrenched the door open and the three scrambled out into the hallway. Shadow closed the door as fast as he could. There was a muffled explosion from the other side and then silence. The trio collapsed to the ground, each panting heavily.

"So what did you find, Tails?" Silver asked.

"Well, the cavern you guys found isn't natural or man-made," Tails said.

"What do you mean?" Shadow asked, confused.

"Well, to put it bluntly, we were invaded by aliens. They were known as the Black Arms and wanted to take over the Earth. They made this cavern out of some of their own kind. It's really a living organism. As time went on, they slowly started to die off for unknown reasons. Eggman apparently discovered the cave when he was digging for gems at one point.

"There must have still been a few lingering around and he captured them in their weakened state to study them. The Black Arms are, or were, incredibly advanced. They had teleportation, space travel, robotic creations, and even mind control. I guess they left behind everything and Eggman is just using what he can find. Even if he doesn't understand it.

"He also might have found some DNA around and managed to recreate the species. Hence the genetic research lab you guys just came out of. Or he found them in pods of some kind. The computer doesn't say. Just that he has been trying to control them somehow. So you guys were **extremely** lucky to get out of there."

"Now where are we going?" Silver asked.

"You have to make the next left and the pod is at the end of that hallway," Tails replied. Shadow rubbed his back where he got hit and cringed.

"The sooner we get out the better," he said. Silver nodded in agreement. Shadow slowly stood up, groaning. Sonic vacantly looked down the hallway.

"We should go," Sonic said, getting up. He started to walk down, but noticed Shadow and Silver weren't following. He looked over his shoulder.

"Well? Are you coming or not?" Sonic asked.

Silver walked over and Shadow slowly trailed behind. Sonic huffed and walked around the corner. He opened the door and the trio stepped inside.

"My turn to pick a button!" Silver declared. He looked down at the panel and picked another button. They all crammed inside again and disappeared. They tumbled out of the next pod.

"Where are we now, Tails?" Shadow asked.

"Uh… you guys aren't going to like this one… It's called 'Failure Disposal.'"

"Just tell us where the next teleporter is," Silver said.

"Actually, not that far. Just go down the hall and it's the last door on the left," Tails responded.

"Awesome," Silver said. He started to walk down the hall.

"Wait!" Tails shouted.

The three hedgehogs froze.

"What is it?" Shadow asked worriedly.

"There's someone coming out of one of the doors. Go into the nearest room! Now!" he commanded.

Silver looked left and saw an open door. Without thinking, he dashed in. Sonic and Shadow raced behind him. They shut the door with a soft click and looked behind them. There were more cages. But these had something in them. And it wasn't aliens. Shadow walked softly down the aisle and gasped quietly and put a hand to his mouth.

In the first cage was something that looked like a human but at the same time it didn't. It was covered in green scales, and had webbed feet and hands. It looked really sick. It made a low moaning sound and cracked open its eyes. It saw Shadow and tried to curl up in as tiny a ball as it could. But it was too weak to do anything. A tear formed in Shadow's eye.

"How could Eggman be this cruel?" Shadow asked. "This poor creature! I mean, someone had to create this thing and now it's suffering and dying." Sonic shook his head.

"Eggman's insane. He wants to control nature, but he can't," Sonic said. He walked down a little farther and then just went back to the door.

"I don't want to stay here any longer than we have to," Shadow said.

Silver went to the door. "I think the coast is clear," he said. He cracked open the door and peeked outside. He looked back and nodded. The three crept out into the hallway and stalked down the hall, racing into the teleporter room. Silver pushed a button and the three crammed into the pod.

They reappeared again and scrambled out of the pod.

"Now where are we?" Silver asked.

"It's still not the right floor," Tails said. Shadow and Silver groaned. "This is beam manufacturing. I'm guessing this is where Eggman is trying to make beam weapons. Don't. Touch. Anything. Now go down the hallway and make a right."

The three walked down the hall and followed Tails' instructions. Shadow peeked inside a door and stopped.

"Hey, check this out!" he said.

Silver and Sonic walked over and looked inside. There, on a pedestal, was a gun. But it wasn't man-made. It was a purple color and almost seemed organic. Shadow opened the door and walked up to it.

"I wonder what it does…" he said. He picked it up and put his finger on the trigger.

"Shadow…" Silver started, but Shadow pulled the trigger anyways. There wasn't any burst of light or power, just a small sound. Shadow looked down at it.

"That's it? All this alien technology and all it does is make a 'zap' noise?" Shadow complained.

"Maybe the effect is something you can't see," Silver said. "The Black Arms _were_good with mind tricks. Better put it back." Shadow rolled his eyes.

"I just want to know what it does," he said.

"But what if it makes the person brain-dead?" Silver argued.

"But what if it doesn't?" Shadow replied.

"You know we could just read the description here," Sonic interrupted.

Shadow and Silver looked at him and then looked down to where he was pointing. There was a piece of paper with the words 'Point of View Gun' printed out on it.

"That doesn't sound dangerous," Shadow said. He raised the gun and pointed it at Silver.

"Shadow! Don-" Silver started, but Shadow pulled the trigger.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Wow these chapters are fun to write!<strong>

**Shadow: So what's the gun do?**

**Me: You'll find out next chapter!**

**Sonic: Ugh.**

**Me: Oh, get over it.**

**Shadow: But you're writing three chapters about getting in!**

**Me: I know! I'm so happy about it!**

**Shadow: Surely, you'll run out of ideas soon.**

**Me: Eventually, I will. And don't call me Shirley!**

**REVIEW!**


	18. Infiltrating the Base part III

**Me: Chapter eighteen! I never thought I would go this far.**

**Sonic: Well, you did, with so many cliffhangers.**

**Me: Yep! Cliffhangers are so much fun. Besides, if a new reader comes around, I'll make him or her want to read more!**

***Shadow rolls his eyes***

**Sonic: Just don't do any more, okay?**

**Me: You never know what I'll write!**

* * *

><p>Silver shook briefly as his muscles spasmed. He looked at Shadow.<p>

"You are really pissed at Eggman. He turned your life upside-down for the sake of science. But on the other hand, you did find Sonic…" Silver said. He shook his head. "Wow that was weird. Give me that!" Silver grabbed the gun from Shadow. He pointed it at Sonic and fired.

"Damn, Silver, you have it rough. You have to deal with two moody hedgehogs; you got dragged through all of this danger, and for what? You don't know what could be around the corner. You don't even know what Eggman will throw at you next," Sonic said. Shadow's eyes widened

"I didn't know you felt that way…" Shadow said.

"I didn't know either," Silver replied. "But I know I would do anything to help you guys. I promise. Let's put this back," he said.

Silver gingerly placed the gun back on the pedestal but Sonic grabbed it.

"Let's see…" Sonic said, pointing it at Silver. He pulled the trigger.

"Damn Eggman! He's always messing with something and you have to fix it! It is fun trumping him every time, but it's pretty much the same each time. At least this time you found someone to love. Someone who means the world to you…" Silver said.

"Sounds about right," Sonic said, putting the gun back.

"**Now** can we leave?" Shadow asked impatiently. Sonic went to the door and opened it. He peered around the corner.

"Looks safe. Let's go!" Sonic said.

The trio left the room and stalked silently down the hallway.

"Now make a right," Tails said. They dashed around the corner. "Stop!" Tails shouted.

"What is it?" Sonic asked.

"There's a new security measure: a laser matrix. Don't try to guess where they are. Inside one of the packs is a small vial with a white powder. Let me know when you get it," Tails said. "I'll see if I can disable the lasers while you're looking." Silver pulled off his pack and dug through the tools inside. He pulled out a container.

"Is it labeled 'F.P. Dust'?" Silver asked.

"No," Tails responded. "That's fingerprinting dust. Keep looking." Shadow pulled out a vial from his own pack.

"Is it labeled NaHCO3?" Shadow asked.

"That's baking soda. Why did you even pack that, Tails?" Sonic asked.

"Well, I thought we would go through chemical labs and it helps… well… it would help with chemical burns. Keep looking." They kept searching. Sonic brought out another vial.

"How about L.D. S?" Sonic asked. Shadow's eyebrow rose.

"Why is there acid in there, Tails?" Shadow asked slowly.

"It's not a drug. It stands for Laser Detection System. The powder will diffract the beam enough for you to see it, but not enough to completely break the beam. Blow some of the powder into the air, and then you'll see," Tails responded. Sonic shrugged and put some of the powder on his hand. He blew softly, shooting the fine powder into the air. A long network of green lasers was quickly revealed. They crisscrossed the hallway, some parallel to the ground, some at strange diagonals, and others were completely vertical. The three hedgehogs stared at what was revealed.

"There's no way in hell we're crawling through that," Shadow said.

"So now what, Tails?" Sonic asked.

"Give me a minute…" Tails responded. "I can only deactivate some of them. The rest have complicated code that's nearly impossible to break. Deactivating now." The vertical bars disappeared as well as a few of the diagonal. The horizontal bars remained intact. Silver studied the pattern.

"This looks a lot easier. I can float everyone through," Silver said. Silver kept his eyes open, but lifted Shadow into the air. Ever so slowly, Shadow drifted through the lasers. He kept his body rigid and as compact as he could. He finally cleared the other side and turned right-side up.

"Do distractions affect you?" Sonic asked loudly, jumping in front of Silver. Silver jumped and his concentration broke. Shadow fell to the ground in a heap.

"Ow," Shadow groaned. "Sonic!" he yelled. Sonic just laughed.

"Love ya, Shadz," Sonic replied. Shadow just groaned in reply. Sonic turned to Silver. "My turn!"

Silver rolled his eyes, but floated Sonic through the matrix of lasers, this time depositing the hedgehog on his feet. Silver looked at the lasers and sighed.

"This is going to be tricky…" he mumbled. He looked at Shadow. "I need to close my eyes for this, so I need you to guide me. Can I trust you?"

"Of course," Shadow promised. "I'll make sure you don't bump into anything." Silver nodded and closed his eyes. He floated into the air and his body turned so it was horizontal.

"You need to go down a little," Shadow said. Silver floated down a few inches. "Little more, little more, stop!" Shadow commanded. Silver was lined up with the first gap. "Now go straight until I say stop." Silver slowly drifted forward a few inches. "Stop!" Shadow said. Silver hung motionless in the air.

"Now go up…" Shadow said. Silver floated upwards. "Stop," Shadow said. "You're going to have to hold your spikes back for the next one. It's too long to fit through the gap." Silver reached back and pulled his fur to the front of his body.

"Go forward… You're halfway done!" Shadow said. "Forward more… stop. Now go a little to the left. **My**left not yours! Straight through, and you're done." Silver finally exited the laser maze and stood back on the ground. He shook a little.

"That was more nerve wracking than I thought," Silver said shakily.

"Let's just keep going," Sonic said. They started down the hallway.

"The pod is in the next room on the left," Tails said. The three walked in. Sonic looked at the panel. He chewed his lip in thought.

"Let's pick… this one," Sonic said. He pushed a button and the three piled into the teleporter. They reappeared in a new room and tumbled out.

"Where are we now?" Silver asked.

"Still not where you want to be, but closer. This is another psychic level. It's unclear what's on the floor based on the map," Tails said. "Please be careful."

Silver cracked open the door and peeked out into the hallway. No one was in sight so he dashed out, with Shadow and Sonic at his heels.

"You have to go through another large, empty room," Tails said. "I don't know what's inside. The door is at the end of the hallway. Once you're inside, the teleporter is on the other side." Sonic and Shadow raced to the end and opened the door. The trio walked into the room. Shadow stopped short. His mother was in there.

"**Shadow!**" she screamed. Shadow paled and dashed away. She ran after him trying to catch up. "Shadow Geoffrey Hedgehog! You get back here this instant!" Shadow completely ignored her and kept running. He was about to be beaten. For what, he had no idea. But he knew he had to get away. He dashed around a corner.

_Wait a minute. Corner?_Shadow thought. Tails had said the room was empty. Where the hell was he? He looked around. He was back in his house! But his house was burned down! He shook his head and closed his eyes. _Must be another mind trick._**_This isn't real!_**

He opened them again. He was back in the room. Sonic was on the floor in the fetal position. Silver was running around the room, crying out. Shadow walked over and rolled Sonic onto his back. He whimpered in fear. Shadow leaned down and kissed him. Sonic instantly relaxed and returned the kiss. He opened his eyes.

"Oh, god, Shadow!" Sonic cried. He clung tightly to Shadow and cried into his shoulder.

"Sh, sh, sh, sh, sh," Shadow whispered. "It was just a dream. It wasn't real."

"But it felt so real!" Sonic sobbed. Shadow hugged him tight.

"It's over now. Let's get Silver before he's totally scarred," Shadow said. Sonic sniffled and nodded. Shadow dashed to Silver and grabbed him forcefully. He stumbled slightly and shook his head.

"What the hell…" Silver said.

"Another dream. We need to get out of here," Shadow said. Sonic started to run over to them but stumbled and fell. He groaned and rubbed his head.

"Are you okay?" Shadow asked worriedly.

"Fine. Just a… headache is all," Sonic responded. The doors they entered from suddenly opened with a bang. A shadowy form stood in the doorway.

"Targets in sight. Mission objective one complete," the creature said. The three stared at what had just entered. It was Metal Sonic! Shadow and Silver stood in shock.

"That's impossible…" Silver breathed. "I thought… I thought…"

"I have backup CPUs," Metal Sonic said. It laughed coldly. "Now to complete the mission!"

It dashed forward to grab Sonic.

"No!" Shadow cried. He dashed forward and scooped up Sonic, getting away from Metal Sonic just in time. He ran to the back of the room and wrenched open the door. Silver dashed in and pressed a random button. The three crammed in and teleported away. They reappeared and stumbled out of the teleporter.

"That was terrifying," Silver said. Shadow nodded in agreement.

"Where are we now?" Shadow asked.

"You're on the right floor!" Tails said excitedly. Sonic jumped slightly. "Now to figure out where you can do a psychic reversal… Give me a sec to find the right room."

"Actually Tails," Sonic said, "I'm starting to remember the layout. I know where we need to go!"

"Awesome!" Shadow said with enthusiasm. "I can get my sexy body back!" Silver rolled his eyes.

"Lead us on, Sonic," Silver said.

Sonic clumsily ran down the hallway. He suddenly fell when the hover skates kicked in.

"Are you okay?" Shadow asked worriedly. Sonic shook his head and dusted himself off.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said. "Just… a… little woozy from the headache." Shadow pulled him up.

"If you say so," Shadow said. Sonic shook his head again.

"Let's keep going. It's not that much farther," Sonic said. He walked cautiously down the hallway, trying not to run so he wouldn't fall. He turned down the nearest hallway and walked to the end of it. He stopped at the large door at the end.

"It's right in here," he said. He pulled open the door a crack and walked inside. Shadow and Silver walked in behind him. They stopped cold.

The room was filled with robots, and they were all pointing their guns at the two of them. Sonic was facing them, a grin on his face.

"I've got you now!" Sonic laughed. He walked over to the side of the room and put his hand on a lever. "Sweet dreams, hedgehogs," he said coldly, pulling the lever down. A blue mist rained down from above. Shadow and Silver swooned and fell over. Shadow slowly closed his eyes.

"S-sonic…" Shadow started. He blacked out.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: The end.<strong>

**Shadow: THAT'S IT?!**

**Me: Yep.**

**Sonic: You left so many loose ends!**

**Me: I know.**

**Shadow: So… going to explain anything?**

**Me: Nope! End of discussion!**

**REVIEW!**


	19. Waking Up

**Me: I bet you thought I was done!**

**Sonic: What the hell are you doing?**

**Me: Just having fun with the writing.**

**Shadow: You could have at least said that you were going to keep going.**

**Me: Nah. Doing that was fun!**

**Sonic: Just write so we can find out…**

* * *

><p>Shadow groaned and blinked his eyes. There was a bright light directly above him. He tried to lift his arm to shield his eyes, but his arm wouldn't move. He couldn't move his head either. In fact, he couldn't move <strong>any <strong>part of his body. He looked down. He was strapped to a metal gurney! The memories flooded back.

_Sonic betrayed us! Betrayed me!_Shadow thought. Tears started to form in his eyes. _I thought he loved me…_His ears perked up as a door creaked open. A shadow came across the light.

"Well, well, well," the shadowy form cackled.

Another light came on in the room. Shadow gasped.

"Eggman!" he said.

Eggman laughed.

"Who else did you expect?" Eggman said. Shadow opened his mouth to say something. "That was rhetorical!" Eggman snapped.

Shadow closed his mouth and gulped.

"Now that I have you and your three friends, I can finish what I've started," Eggman said.

He walked away. Shadow strained to look and see what he was doing, but Eggman was out of sight. He reappeared holding a needle filled with a green liquid.

"Time for sleep, hedgehog," Eggman sneered.

"No…" Shadow moaned as Eggman injected the contents of the needle. Shadow quickly fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Shadow woke up screaming. He closed his eyes and tried to slow his rapid breathing. He gradually calmed down and opened his eyes. He was in a small cage, that was certain, but the room was completely dark. Nothing beyond the bars could be seen.<p>

_Sonic was a traitor. I still can't believe it._Shadow shook slightly. _I thought he loved me! Thinking about it won't help. I have to get out of here._Shadow felt around the cage, looking for the door, but found nothing. He sighed loudly.

"Who's there?" a voice came from across the room. Shadow jumped. "Who's there?" the voice repeated.

"I'm Shadow," Shadow said.

"Shadow!" the voice cried. "It's me! Tails!"

"Tails? Oh, my god! Are you okay?" Shadow asked.

"I'm okay. Just shocked. Seconds after you guys were knocked out, the door was knocked down and some goons came in and got me. They put me to sleep and I woke up here. I have no idea where we are or what happened."

"I'll fill you in," Shadow said. "Basically, Sonic betrayed us. He led us into a room filled with robots and pulled a lever to release a sleeping gas on us."

"No…" Tails breathed. "Sonic wouldn't do that!"

"But he did. Silver would agree with me."

"But Sonic was my best friend... He wouldn't, **couldn't**, betray us like that."

The door screeched open and a light was flicked on. Shadow and Tails shielded their eyes from the blinding light. A nurse walked in with two needles in her hand.

"You two need to settle down," she said coldly. She walked over to Shadow's cage. He scrambled back, trying to get as far away from her as possible.

"Hold still!" she shouted. She forcibly grabbed Shadow's arm and pushed the needle in. Shadow yelped at the pain and suddenly fell over as the drugs took effect. She walked over to Tails' cage. He lifted his arm out to her.

"There's a good kitsune," she said condescendingly. She pumped the drug in his veins and he instantly fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Shadow opened his eyes again. He felt different. He glanced down and gasped loudly. He wasn't in Sonic's body anymore. He was in Tails' body.<p>

"When the fuck did this happen?" he shouted. It was strange to hear Tails' voice when he was doing the taking. He shuddered. _What is Eggman doing?_He wondered.

There was a beeping sound coming from his right. He glanced over. There was a machine measuring his heartbeat. He looked to his left. There was another gurney with Sonic's body on it! Maybe Tails was in there!

"Tails! Wake up!" Shadow shouted. The eyes blinked and the person groaned. "It is Tails, right?" he asked.

"Yeah…Why do you…" Tails glanced down and screamed.

"Take a deep breath, Tails," Shadow said soothingly. Tails started to hyperventilate. Shadow could hear a rapid beeping. "Tails!" Shadow said strongly. "You need to calm down! Your body can't handle that for long!" Tails started to slow down his breathing.

"What…when… how…" Tails started.

"Eggman switched you and me while we were out," Shadow explained. He sighed loudly. "What is it?" Tails asked worriedly.

"It's Sonic!" Shadow said loudly. "I still can't believe he would betray us like that! Leading us right into a trap, and actually setting it off himself!"

"I still don't believe you…" Tails said, trailing off.

The door screeched open and another gurney was wheeled in. The two instantly fell silent and pretended to still be asleep. Shadow cracked an eye open to see who was on the new gurney. He thought he could see Silver's body, but he couldn't be sure who was actually in the body. After hooking the body up to a few machines, the nurse left. The door closed with a bang.

"Tails!" Shadow said. "Can you tell who's on the new cart?"

"I think it's Silver!" Tails said happily. "Silver! Wake up!" Tails shouted. The figure groaned and shook his head.

"What do you want, Shadow?" Silver asked.

"First of all, it is Silver, right?" Shadow asked.

"Yeah. Why would you ask?" Silver asked.

"Tails and I switched bodies," Shadow said.

"So that means…" Silver said, slightly confused.

"Sonic is still in my body, Tails is in Sonic's body and I'm in Tails' body," Shadow said. "Feels weird saying it that way…anyways, you're lucky. You're still in your own body. Have you seen Sonic yet? I want to kill him!"

"Calm down, Shadow," Tails said. "I know you're upset…"

"Upset?" Shadow said incredulously. "Upset doesn't even cover it! I trusted him! I loved him and I thought he loved me…"

"Shadow," Silver started softly.

"What!" Shadow roared.

"I don't think it was Sonic," Silver said.

"What?" Shadow breathed.

"Didn't you notice Sonic stumbled when your skates kicked in?"

"Well, yeah, but we had been going for a long time."

"But didn't he master them before?"

"So?"

"Someone else was in your body. I'm guessing mind control. He said he had a headache, that might not be lie, but it was sort of suspicious, don't you think?" Silver asked.

"Sort of makes sense…"

"Plus, he knew exactly where to go. Whenever you guys started to remember something, you would get a splitting headache, right?"

"Right…"

"And he didn't have that. How would he remember?"

"You could be right… but I still don't trust that faker!"

A nurse flung the door open.

"Don't you ever learn to shut up?" she demanded.

They three boys tried to move, but the straps were too tight. She pulled out a needle and injected fluid into them. "Now shut up and sleep!" she commanded. Shadow felt his eyes closing, but didn't try to fight.

* * *

><p>Shadow woke up back in the cage again. He tried to stand up, but hit his head on the top. He groaned and rubbed his head.<p>

"Who's awake?" a voice asked.

"It's Shadow," Shadow said. "I'm in Tails' body now."

"This is Tails," Tails said, "and I'm in Sonic's body."

"I'm in Silver's body," a voice said.

"Who is in Silver's body?" Shadow asked.

"Me. Sonic," Sonic said.

"You motherfucker!" Shadow screamed. "How the fuck could you betray us! I thought you loved me! I thought I could trust you! Don't give me any of your fucking excuses or fucking lies."

"Yep. That's definitely Shadow," Sonic commented.

"What the fuck do you mean?" Shadow growled.

"Well, I was put in a room with you, and you weren't right. You were shocked and disgusted when I kissed you," Sonic said.

"But that never happened!" Shadow said.

"Because it wasn't you. Eggman was controlling you. That was easy to figure out. His ego is too huge," Sonic laughed. "You don't remember it because it didn't happen to you. It happened to Eggman."

"That makes sense!" Tails shouted. "Eggman has been controlling you since the last psychic room!"

"It does explain a lot…" Shadow conceded. "What do you remember before waking up as a lab rat?"

"Uh…waking up from my nightmare, then a really strong pain in my head, and then black…"

"He's telling the truth," another voice came.

"Silver?" Shadow asked.

"Yep. I'm in Shadow's body," Silver said. Shadow groaned loudly.

"What?" Sonic asked.

"Just so confusing with all of this body-swapping. Let's see if I can get this right. Okay. I'm in Tails' body, Tails is in Sonic's body, Sonic is in Silver's body, and Silver is in my body. Did I get that right?" Shadow asked.

"Think so," Tails replied.

"So you're telling me Eggman was controlling you?" Shadow asked.

"Yep," Sonic replied. "And he was controlling you too. Do you believe me?" Shadow locked eyes with Sonic. Shadow could see the look in Sonic's eyes. A look that begged him to believe him and move past what happened. A look that showed Sonic's deepest love for Shadow. With no words spoken, Shadow was convinced. A solitary tear rolled down his cheek.

"Yes," Shadow said. "I believe you."

"Now back to our current problem," Tails said. "We have to get out of here. Silver, can you open the cages?"

"I can't find the latches or the locks. Maybe when we get strapped down, I can undo those."

"But we have to be strapped down together…" Shadow said pessimistically. The door was thrown open.

"Please, stay quiet!" the nurse shouted.

"Or I could just do this," Silver said. He closed his eyes. The nurse suddenly went rigid. Silver opened them again, but there was something different about his eyes now. They were colder, harder, almost angry.

"You must follow my commands," Silver said sternly.

"I will follow your commands," the nurse responded mechanically.

"You will unlatch our cages and tell us how to get back into our own bodies."

"I will unlatch your cages, but I do not know how to transfer your minds."

"Then lead us to the person who does."

The nurse walked forward robotically and pushed a button on the wall. One side of each of the cages slid up. Sonic, Shadow, and Tails walked forward slowly. Silver marched straight up to the nurse.

"Lead us on," he commanded. She nodded robotically. "Act natural and if anybody asks, you're taking us to a stress test."

The nurse loosened up and walked to the door. She pulled it open and the four boys followed her.

* * *

><p><strong>Sonic: Wow. Lots of drama<strong>

**Me: Yep. Lots needed to be cleared up. And the body-swapping was fun!**

**Shadow: But so confusing!**

**Me: Well, I did have you clarify a few times.**

**Shadow: Yes, but still…**

**Me: Oh, get over it.**

**Shadow: Well, it is!**

**Sonic: How many more chapters do you have planned?**

**Me: You'll find out!**

**REVIEW!**


	20. The Transfer

**Me: Chapter twenty!**

**Shadow: You don't say.**

**Sonic: Get on with the story!**

**Me: Just be patient. I'm getting there.**

**Sonic: Yes, but this is taking forever!**

**Me: I'm enjoying myself so be quiet.**

* * *

><p>The four boys looked around at the hallway the nurse was leading them down. It was completely metallic, and each wall was smooth. There were no visible doors or lines, or even decorations. The nurse abruptly halted. She turned to the smooth wall and placed her palm on the wall. A soft beep and click could be heard. The outline of a door appeared in the wall. It swung open and the nurse led the boys inside.<p>

It was a small office. There were books scattered everywhere, papers in large piles and small, messy mounds, and charts hanging up on the walls. There was a desk in the center of the room, and a tall chair behind it. It was turned away. The nurse cleared her throat.

"What do you want?" a voice from the other side of the chair asked gruffly.

"You have four visitors," the nurse replied. The chair swiveled around. There was a small man sitting in the chair. His brown hair was balding and his large glasses were perched on the edge of his nose. He had a white lab coat on and several pens sticking out of the pocket.

"Why did you bring the four test subjects here!" he exploded. "And without restraints!" Silver stepped forward and locked eyes with the scientist.

"Because I told her to," Silver said. He snapped his eyes shut and the scientist suddenly went rigid. Silver opened his eyes again.

"Lead us to the lab and switch us back," Silver commanded.

The scientist nodded and stood up slowly. He swayed from side to side but corrected himself. He walked to the door and stepped out of the room. The four boys followed behind him. The scientist made a left into the hallway and began to walk down. They went on for a while until he stopped. He turned to the left wall. This section still looked smooth, but the scientist put his hand on the wall. A door opened and he stepped inside. The boys followed and looked around at the room.

The walls were covered with screens showing graphs and data. Some panels were covered with switches and knobs. There was a whiteboard in one corner with unintelligible scribblings covering it. In the center of the room were two purple chairs. Above each it almost looked like a mesh helmet was resting. Sonic walked over and picked one up. He turned it over in his hands.

"Looks easy!" he proclaimed. "Just put these on, hit a button and we're good!" Shadow shook his head.

"Nothing is ever that easy," Shadow said. Silver turned to the scientist who snapped to attention.

"Show us which buttons to press to turn us back," he commanded.

"Wait!" Tails said. "We need to figure out who to switch first! I mean… hold on." Tails walked to the white board and erased a corner. He drew four rectangles and put one name under each. Then he put a different name in the box.

"Okay, so this shows us, and which bodies we're in. So it looks like we should… switch Silver and Shadow, that would put Silver in the right body, then me and Sonic, and then Shadow and Sonic. That would work! OR, we could switch… wait a minute…" Tails erased some of what he wrote. He looked at it for a minute and then lit up. "No matter who we switch first, it will always take three transfers." He spun around to look at the other three. "Who wants to go first?' Sonic and Shadow looked at each other.

"We will," Sonic said.

"We started this, so we may as well be the first to switch," Shadow said.

"If something were to go wrong, I would rather it be me than you or Silver," Sonic said to Tails. Tails nodded. Silver glared at the scientist, who snapped to attention.

"Switch these two," Silver commanded, pointing at Sonic and Shadow. The scientist went to the wall and started pulling levers and entering code into computers. Sonic and Shadow embraced.

"We'll be fine," Shadow said.

"I hope you're right," Sonic said. They kissed. Silver nudged Tails.

"So _that's _what we look like when we make out," Silver whispered.

"I heard that!" Shadow said.

They laughed, but it was slightly strained. They were all nervous about what could happen. The scientist turned to the boys.

"It is ready. Would you two sit down and put on the helmets?" the scientist asked. Sonic and Shadow did as he told.

"We'll make sure nothing goes wrong from here," Tails said.

The scientist walked over with two needles in his hand.

"What is that!" Sonic asked worriedly.

"Sleep serum," the scientist explained. "It is necessary."

"Don't worry," Tails said.

"I'll make sure he doesn't do anything to hurt you," Silver said. The scientist injected the serum into Sonic and Shadow. Shadow's eyes started to close.

"Sonic…" Shadow started. "I love you." He whispered as he fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Shadow opened his eyes and looked around. Tails' body was lying on the chair next to him. He looked down. He was in Silver's body now!<p>

"You're awake!" Tails shouted enthusiastically. Shadow heard a groan from next to him. Sonic was waking up.

"Hey, baby," Sonic groaned. Shadow smiled softly.

"Glad you're awake now," Shadow said. "Who's going next?" Shadow asked.

"Well," Tails started, "it could either be you and Silver or Sonic and me." Sonic and Shadow looked at each other.

"Me first," they said at the same time.

"Tails and Sonic first," Silver said. "I want to be sure he gets into his body." Shadow opened his mouth. "Don't argue with me, Shadow." Shadow deflated and took off the helmet.

"Get in, Tails," Shadow said. Tails calmly walked over and sat down. He put on the helmet.

"Ready to go!" Tails said. Silver smiled and looked at the scientist.

The scientist scrambled around and started up the machine again. He calmed down slightly and injected some fluid into Sonic and Tails. Who quickly fell asleep.

"How long does this take?" Shadow asked.

"About fifteen minutes," Silver replied.

"Fifteen minutes!" Shadow choked out. Silver nodded. "A hell of a lot could happen in fifteen minutes!"

"Well, it's a risk we have to take. I'm sure Eggman won't notice us until we're long gone." Shadow sighed.

"I hope you're right…" Shadow said. The machine whirred and made noises. The scientist kept glancing at screens and pushing buttons and typing commands into computers. The whirring died down. The scientist wiped his forehead and walked over to Sonic and Tails. He injected more fluid into them and they both started to stir. Sonic groaned and brought an arm up to his face to block the light. He stopped. His eyes widened.

"I'm… back…" he breathed. "I'm back. I'm back! **I'm back!**" he shouted. He leaped out of the chair and started to dash around the room. He shouted excitedly and skidded to a stop and kissed Shadow. "Oh, it's so good to be back in my own body!" Sonic shouted. He ran around the room.

"Well, _some_one's excited," Shadow said.

"You bet I am!" Sonic shouted. He stopped and leaned against the door they came in. He wasn't even breathing hard. "You need to switch back, you guys. It feels _awesome_ to be back in your own body!" Tails grinned and rolled his eyes.

"Okay, Silver and Shadow it's time for you guys to switch back," Tails said. They smiled and nodded and sat down in the chairs. Silver looked at the scientist who came over with two more needles. He pushed the plunger down on both of them and Silver and Shadow started to fall asleep.

"How long will this take?" Sonic asked.

"Well, you guys took about fifteen minutes, so I'm guessing somewhere around there," Tails replied. Sonic grinned.

"So happy I'm back in my own body," Sonic said bouncing on his feet. There was a whooshing sound behind them. Sonic and Tails spun around. The door was opening. They froze for a second.

"What do we do?" Tails asked. "Silver's controlling the scientist so I doubt we can tell him what to do…"

"Might as well try," Sonic said. He dashed over. "If anyone asks, you're running some tests. And try to speed it up!" The scientist looked blankly at Sonic. The door opened and a few guards with guns stormed in, but behind them was Eggman. Sonic and Tails were shocked. They stood stock still, unsure of what to do. The guards cocked their guns and aimed them at the two boys. Eggman cackled.

"You really thought you would outsmart me?" he sneered. "It wasn't difficult to learn where you would go once you escaped the cages. But learning _when_you escaped was another matter." Eggman glared at one of the guards who shuffled nervously. "When you escaped me at the school, and you didn't go home, it wasn't difficult to know you would come to me. So I let you. I will admit some of your sneaking around was difficult to trace, but once you used the teleporter pods, I had you. You really thought I wouldn't notice such a huge drain of power? You didn't think that would be logged?" Eggman laughed. "You did avoid the main cameras, but there were several that are not on the grid. Some that only _I _can see.

"You have seen much of my base. Much more than should be allowed. You've seen the Black Arms. Yes, I know what they are. They were a superior alien race with superior weaponry and scientific advancements. I am simply trying to figure out how the technology works and use it to my advantage. The teleportation pods can be useful to transport individuals. Imagine being able to teleport an army! An army of the Black Arms under my command! I would be unstoppable! I would be able to rule the world!

"But all rulers die. Even Caesar, one of the greatest rulers of all time died. But how to avoid death? The mind never decays, but the body dies. It was a simple thought, really. I must transfer my consciousness into a new body. That is what this test is for. To see if psychic transferal is possible. Sonic and Shadow were the first successful test. And the fact that Shadow and Tails could transfer means I have a range of species to choose from. I could be immortal. Imagine being the king forever and ever. It would be paradise."

Sonic clapped. "Bravo, Eggman. Bravo. Best monologue I've heard in a long time," Sonic said.

"You dare to mock me!" Eggman sneered.

"Yes, I do," Sonic said. Sonic dashed into the hallway, knocking down some guards. "Bet you can't catch me!" he shouted. He dashed down the hall.

"After him!" Eggman shouted. All of the guards hurried out. Eggman looked down at Tails. "And now to deal with you." Tails flew up to the ceiling and hovered there.

"You can't stay there forever!" Eggman called, shaking a fist.

"No, but I can do this!" Tails shouted back. He reached into a pocket and drew a closed fist out.

"There's nothing there!" Eggman sneered.

"Oh, no?" Tails said with a cheeky grin. He twirled his hand around himself and he disappeared.

"What!" Eggman shouted, surprised. "Where did you go!"

"Cloaking cloak," Tails replied. "All I had to do was bend light around me." Tails settled down on the ground, but Eggman was still focused on the ceiling. He growled.

"Show yourself!" Eggman called. Tails silently walked around Eggman. Eggman stiffened, and turned to the control panel. Tails instantly knew what Eggman was going to do. He was going to stop the machine! Tails flew up and into Eggman's back as hard as he could. Eggman grunted and fell to the ground with a thud. Tails leaped off and put his back against the machine controls. Sonic zoomed into the room and leaned against the wall nearest the door.

"Well that was fun," Sonic commented.

"Where did my guards go?" Eggman demanded, getting up.

"Oh, someplace fun, I'm sure," Sonic said.

"Where did you lead them!" Eggman shouted. A loud rumbling sound filled the room. The floor started to shake. Eggman fell to the ground again. Tails took off the cloak and rushed to Sonic's side. Suddenly, everything was quiet. Then a loud roaring sound penetrated into the room.

"**You launched my rocket!**" Eggman shouted over the din. Sonic gave Eggman the thumbs up.

"You got it!" Sonic replied with a grin. The noise died down gradually. Eggman stood shakily to his feet.

"You… always ruining my plans… **you will pay for this!**" Eggman dashed over to the controls and pulled a lever before Sonic had time to react. The machine died down. Sonic and Tails looked on in shock. Eggman cackled.

"You will never see your precious friends again!" Eggman sneered.

"Psychic transferal complete," a female voice said. Eggman jumped.

"What!" he cried. The scientist hurried over to Shadow and Silver and injected fluid into them. Eggman glared at him. "Who told you to do that!" Silver stirred and locked eyes with Eggman.

"That would be me," Silver said. Silver closed his eyes, and Eggman cringed, afraid of what Silver would do. The scientist groaned and rubbed his temple.

"Ow…" he groaned. Eggman opened an eye to look at Silver. Silver smiled coldly at Eggman.

"You can let us go, or you can see what I can do with my mind," Silver said. "Your choice." Eggman thought for a moment.

"The teleporter is down the hall on the right. Hit the top left button to get to the main floor," Eggman said, pointing to the door.

"What about my stuff?" Tails asked.

"It's in the security office. I haven't looked at anything yet," Eggman said. The boys looked at him for a minute and dashed out to the teleporter. Eggman chuckled softly to himself.

* * *

><p><strong>Sonic: YES! I'M BACK IN MY BODY!<strong>

**Me: Well, SOMEone's excited.**

**Sonic: You bet I am!**

**Shadow: What, you didn't like mine?**

**Sonic: Well, it was nice to be in, but the sex was weird.**

**Me: I don't need to know any of that…**

**Sonic: Too bad!**

**Shadow: So what's up with Eggman?**

**Me: You'll have to find out next chapter!**

**REVIEW!**


	21. Testing

**Sonic: So we're getting out of the base?**

**Me: You'll see. I still have a few more ideas.**

**Sonic: What could you POSSIBLY have in mind!**

**Shadow: We got to the base, we switched back, and now we have to leave.**

**Me: Yes, but there's still a bit more I could cover afterwards.**

**Sonic: But what could there be?**

**Me: Just wait and find out!**

* * *

><p>The boys rushed down the hallway, and spotted the door. "Careful," Tails said. "It could be a trap." Sonic nodded and opened the door a crack. He peeked inside.<p>

"It's a teleporter room!" he said excitedly. He opened the door all the way and strode inside. The rest of the group followed him reluctantly. Sonic looked at the panel. "Which one did Eggman say is the main floor?" Sonic asked.

"I think he said top right," Shadow answered.

"No, it was top left," Silver said.

"Right."

"Left."

"Right!"

"Left!"

"Stop it both of you!" Tails shouted. "He said left," Tails said as he pushed the button. The four boys crammed into the pod and vanished.

They reappeared in a new pod and tumbled out together. Sonic fell to the ground with a thud. He groaned and carefully stood back up.

"Where are we now?" Sonic asked.

"I have no clue," Tails responded.

"Then let's go see," Shadow said. He cracked open the door and peeked outside. He swung the door open. "It's just a hallway. Nothing dangerous here." The four strode out into the hallway.

"Now how do we find our stuff?" Sonic asked. A loud klaxon blared through the halls.

"Thank you for participating in our testing," a computerized female voice said over the loudspeakers. "Please proceed to the nearest open door." A door swung open down the hall. The four friends stared down the hallway. Silver was the first to act. He swung around and looked back in the room they just came out of. It was only a pod. There weren't any control panels or buttons there.

"Crap. We're stuck here," Silver whispered. Shadow bolted forward and pulled as hard as he could on the closest door. It wouldn't budge.

"Please proceed to the testing area," the computerized voice said. They looked at each other.

"I guess we don't have any other choice…" Shadow said dejectedly.

They shuffled down the corridor and walked into the new room. The door slammed shut behind them and a wall slid over the door to make a completely bare box. The entire room was white with obvious panels making up the walls, ceiling and floor.

"Welcome to the first testing area," the computer said. "This test is designed to test your reflexes and cognitive abilities. Your results will be documented. We are all watching you and wish you the best of luck." The computerized voice shut off.

"So what can we expect?" Shadow asked. "What's the test?" he said loudly. There was a loud, low rumbling noise. The panels on the sides of the rooms pulled back. The room expanded and lengthened, seemingly going on forever. Some of the panels flipped out of the wall to make platforms on the side and on the floor. A deep pit formed in the center, and that began to fill with this dark brown goo-like substance.

"This doesn't look good," Silver whispered.

"No…" Tails breathed. Lasers shot out of the high area of the walls, forming a barrier. Suddenly, two claws shot out from the ceiling behind the boys. Sonic turned when he heard the whirring.

"Run!" he shouted. The boys scattered, but the claws were too fast. They grabbed Tails.

"Let. Me. Go!" Tails screamed.

Silver tried to force the claws open with his telekinesis, but two more claws shot down to grab him, ruining his concentration. They pulled him up high into the air.

"Tails! Silver!" Sonic screamed. He was quickly grabbed by two more claws and Shadow felt himself rise into the air with two more claws holding onto him. One was firmly holding him by the waist. The other one yanked off his shoes and flung them into the pool of goo. Two new shoes were forced onto his feet and he was placed back on the ground. The three others were also back on the ground. Tails was buried in Silver's fur crying. Sonic shuffled over to Tails.

"Hey, hey. It's okay. We're okay," Sonic soothed.

"No… it's not!" Tails shouted. He brought his tails up. His pride and namesake were tied together with three metal zip ties. "It hurts…" Tails whimpered.

"Hey, we'll get those off you when we can. But right now, we're still in Eggman's facility. We can't cut them off you yet. But we are going to try our hardest to escape, okay?" Sonic said. Tails detached himself from Silver and bawled into Sonic's shoulder. Silver sniffed slightly in empathy.

"Are you okay, Silver?" Shadow asked.

"I'm okay, but I can't use my powers." Shadow turned his head suddenly. The robotic claws had put some form of headgear on Silver's head. Two large circular pieces were placed on his temples and they were connected by a network of wires, some of which seemed to disappear into Silver's fur. Shadow rushed over and tried to pull it off. Silver screamed.

"Stop, stop, stop!" Silver cried. Shadow let go and recoiled slightly. Silver rubbed his head gingerly. "Don't touch it…" Sonic shuffled over with a sniffling Tails in tow.

"Are you okay, Sonic?" Shadow asked.

"For the most part," Sonic said. He tried to lift his leg, but the two were bound together by a set of cuffs. Shadow bent down to try to pry them apart. "Don't even bother, Shadow. I'm sure you can't just pull them loose. What about you? What did they do to you?" Shadow looked down at the ground.

"All they did was take my air shoes and put normal ones on. I don't have any special powers like that…" Shadow said, somewhat ashamed.

"Don't feel bad," Sonic said. He leaned in close to Shadow's ear. "That makes you our best chance of getting out of here." Shadow brightened up a little, but nodded, a steely gaze in his eyes.

"We can do this," Sonic said, looking out at the room ahead of them.

"Any and all advantages have been eliminated," the computer said. "This portion of the test will conclude once you have reached the exit at the end of the room. Any and all contact with the floor or the ceiling will result in an 'unsatisfactory' mark on your testing record, followed by immediate death. The testing center wishes you luck." Tails started to cry again.

"We can do this, Tails. Together. We have to work as a team!" Sonic stood up, a determined look in his eyes. He scanned the room. "This doesn't look that bad. It's going to be a lot of jumping from platform to platform, but we can do this."

"But how are you going to do any of the jumping?" Silver asked worriedly. Sonic winked, smiled and gave Silver a thumbs-up.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me," Sonic assured.

"Well, we better get going then," Shadow said. He looked around. He noticed a button on a pedestal nearby. He walked over and looked at it questioningly. He rose an eyebrow and looked back at the group. Sonic just nodded. Shadow took a deep breath and pushed the button. The platforms detached from the walls and started to move around. Some were going in horizontal paths and others in vertical paths.

"Well, this got a whole lot easier," Sonic said.

"What do you mean?" Shadow asked, returning to the group.

"Look at it! All the platforms meet at least one other and stop for a brief second! No jumping involved! And here's our ride." A platform was slowly hovering over to where the boys were all standing. They all quickly got on and waited for the platform to meet up with the next one. They slowly progressed across the room and finally stepped down on the other side.

"Congratulations," the computer said. "Your immense success has been recorded. Once testing is over, cake will be served." A door opened in the wall. The boys looked at each other and reluctantly ventured through. An elevator was waiting for them. Sonic sighed and entered. The three other boys squeezed in with him and they were whisked off to a new area.

The elevator door opened and the four walked out into the new room. It was a small space, with a door at the other end.

"We apologize. The next course is under heavy construction," the computer said. "It has been replaced by a live-fire course designed to test military robots. We wish you the best of luck."

"Live… fire course?" Shadow whispered.

"We'll be fine. We can figure this out," Sonic assured. The four went through the door ahead of them. A small, oval shaped robot on three tiny legs was facing down the hallway ahead of them. A red laser was pointed away from them.

"I don't like the look of that laser," Silver whispered. Sonic pulled off one of his gloves and threw it down the hallway.

"Target locked," the robot said. Two hatches opened on either side of the robot and the glove was peppered with bullets. The robot scanned the hallway once more before closing. They all looked in horror at the contraption in front of them. Sonic shuffled up behind it.

"Tails, look at this," Sonic said. Tails walked up and looked down at the robot. There was a hatch on the back. Sonic tried to open it, but to no avail. He ended up tipping the robot over. It screamed, and fired randomly down the hallway.

"Critical malfunction. Powering down," the turret said. The doors closed and the laser shut off.

"That's it? That's all it takes to deactivate the turrets?" Silver said incredulously.

"I guess so. But let's take this slow. No bullet wounds," Sonic said. Tails visibly shook, but cautiously stepped forward. Sonic grabbed him and shook his head. Sonic shuffled down the hallway and peeked around the corner at the end.

"Hello," a computerized voice said. Sonic quickly ducked back as the wall was filled with bullet holes.

"How are we going to get past that one?" Shadow asked. Sonic thought for a moment and then snapped his fingers.

"It looks like they can only deal with one target at a time. If we give it multiple, it won't know what to do!"

"That's really risky," Silver said. "What if it's systematic and deals with us one at a time? Then what?"

Tails suddenly lunged forward and propelled himself, Sonic and Shadow out into the hallway. The three separated quickly and braced for the inevitable bullets. After a brief second, Shadow looked down the hall. The laser was sweeping them all. Sonic was right! The turret didn't know what to do! He dashed down the hallway and tipped it over. Tails numbly walked down the hallway, his two tails drooping and dragging on the ground.

"Tails, are you okay?" Sonic asked. Tails just shook his head and kept walking. Sonic grabbed him. "Tails, talk to me!" Tails just shook his head as a tear rolled down his cheek. Silver walked up to him and kissed Tails. He started bawling again and clung to Silver like he was his life line.

"Oh, Silver! I'm so scared… And my tails hurt so bad… I don't know how we're going to get through this horror…"

"Sh, sh, sh, sh, sh," Silver cooed. "It's going to be okay. We are all working together to get us all out of here. We will make it. But we all have to be strong. Can you do that for me, Tails?" Silver asked. Tails looked up. He silently nodded, but a tear rolled down his cheek. Silver gently wiped the tear away and kissed Tails again. "Be strong," he whispered. "Be strong."

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Don't hate me. Yes, I realize I was cruel to you guys this chapter. I actually cried a little writing this chapter!<strong>

**Sonic: Then why write if it makes you that upset?**

**Me: Well, it was an idea I had.**

**Shadow: But you had Tails crying almost the entire chapter!**

**Me: Yes, I realize that. But wouldn't you be crying if you were Tails? I mean, Tails has been through a lot in this story. It's getting to him now. Besides, having your tails stuck together with metal zip ties is probably painful. But I promise the next chapter will be better, more triumphant than defeat.**

**REVIEW!**


	22. Chaos

**Me: Next chapter!**

**Sonic: Now how and when are we getting out of the base?**

**Me: I know how, just not when yet. Maybe this chapter, maybe the next.**

**Shadow: Better make it fast. I'm not sure how much longer Tails can handle all of this crap.**

**Me: I know, I know. But things are going to get better. Trust me. I'm the author!**

**Sonic: That's all I can do.**

**Me: On with the story!**

* * *

><p>Tails stepped a little bit back from Silver. Another tear rolled down his face, but his eyes seemed to say he was strong. He could do this. Silver smiled a little.<p>

"There's my boyfriend. Now let's kick Eggman's ass!" Silver said.

Sonic looked around the corner. There weren't any turrets in sight, so he shuffled down the hallway. The three followed him cautiously, watching for any traps. A panel suddenly opened partway next to them. Sonic dove into the space behind the panel and grabbed the turret he was sure was back there. It started firing.

"Sonic!" Shadow screamed. A red, viscous liquid started to flow out of the space behind the panel. "Oh, my god… Sonic…" Shadow whispered. Sonic crawled back out, covered in the red liquid.

"What?" Sonic asked. "All I did was cut one of the fuel lines."

"Sonic, you fucker!" Shadow screamed. "You scared the shit out of me! Don't you _ever_do that again!" Sonic cringed a little bit.

"Look, I'm sorry. I was trying to protect you guys and I managed to break a fuel line that had red stuff in it. Not on purpose!" Sonic argued. Shadow settled down a little bit.

"Just don't do that again," he said curtly.

"Fine by me, but I found a computer panel back here!" Sonic said.

"Let me see!" Tails said. He crouched down and shimmied into the tiny space. "Hmm… Looks like I can hack into the panel layout here! And there's a walkway behind one of them too!" Tails said excitedly. He quickly typed in a few commands and a set of panels slid away further down the hallway. Sonic, Shadow, and Silver all looked down the hallway. Tails crawled back out.

"Let's go!" Tails shouted. The four boys ran as fast as they could into the new space Tails had created.

"What are you four doing?" Eggman's voice said over the loudspeakers. "Get back in there!" Sonic looked around. It was simply a metal catwalk that extended far beyond what he could see.

"There's nothing you can do back here!" Sonic shouted.

"Go back!" Eggman shouted.

"I don't think he can hear or see us," Silver said. "Let's get out of here." The four went quickly along the catwalk. There were no forks in the walkway. They only had one option: straight. The walkway grew darker and darker.

"Where the hell are we?" Shadow finally asked.

"No idea," Sonic replied. "But there haven't been any turns. Let's just keep going."

They walked for another five minutes before it suddenly came to a door labeled "Authorized Personnel Only." Tails opened the door and stepped inside.

"Now this is more like it!" he said. Sonic, Silver and Shadow entered. It was a computer lab. Tails comfortably sat down on one of the chairs and started clacking at the keyboard. Within minutes, he was in the mainframe. He pulled up the map of the facility.

"Let's see…. We are here," Tails said, pointing at the screen. They were on the 25thbasement, labeled 'testing.' "And the teleporter pod is here." It was just a few feet down the hallway from them.

"But Eggman said that he was watching the teleporters. We can't use it," Shadow said.

"It's our only option. There is no other way off of this floor. We can only hope we get to the ground floor. Then maybe we can escape," Tails replied. Shadow just nodded. Sonic opened the door to the main floor and peeked outside.

"The coast is clear. Let's head out!" he said. The four rushed out of the room and entered the teleporter room. Again, it was bare for the most part. The four crowded around the control panel.

"Which button?" Silver asked.

"This one," Sonic said, pushing a random button. The teleporter whirred to life and the four crammed into the tiny pod.

"I hope you're right about this, Sonic," Shadow said.

"Would someone get their elbow out of my face?" Tails complained. They suddenly vanished. They reappeared in a new room and tumbled out of the pod.

"Ow…"Tails groaned. "Where are we?" he asked. Silver opened the door and peeked out.

"Still not the right floor," he sighed.

"Well, we can still see if there's something useful here. Maybe our stuff is here!" Sonic said.

"Let's see if I can find a computer," Tails said. "Then I can find out some more."

Shadow cautiously looked out in the hallway. He dashed out and cracked open the nearest door. He motioned with his head and the rest of the boys followed him inside. Tails saw the computer bank instantly and sat down. He was typing more commands into the keyboard and started to hunt around.

"We're on a level labeled 'Chaos Control,'" Tails said.

"What does that mean?" Shadow asked.

"Let me see…" Tails said. He started typing. Multiple dialogue boxes opened on the computer screen. Tails skimmed each one and finally stopped. He read intently. "Have you guys heard of the Chaos Emeralds before?" Tails asked, still reading.

"Yeah, but they're myths!" Sonic said. "They don't exist!"

"But they do exist," Shadow breathed, reading what was on the screen. Eggman had found one while mining in the area and had been doing multiple tests on it. He was studying its energy and learning how to harness it for his own gain. He had found that certain individuals could harness its energy and use it to teleport short distances. He called it Chaos Control.

"It's in the next room," Tails said.

"Let's go check it out!" Sonic said. There was another door in the room, but it had a palm reader on it. Sonic walked up to it and exhaled onto the palm reader. The oils caught the moisture in Sonic's breath. The scanner scanned the palm print and the door slid open. Sonic peeked into the next room. It was a lab, but it was empty. In the center of the room was a console with three large, differently colored gems fitted into different slots. One was a deep blue, another was dark green and the last was pure white.

"They're beautiful," Shadow breathed. He reached out a hand to touch one, but Sonic instantly grabbed it and pulled him back.

"Bad idea. They're definitely protected," Sonic said. Tails went over to the computer bank. He pulled up the camera feeds.

"Uh oh," Tails said. "We're getting company soon!" He furiously typed in commands. "There. I've sealed the door as best as I can. But we don't have much time!"

"Tails, deactivate the defenses on the gems," Shadow said.

"Why?" Tails asked.

"I want to try something. And find out where our stuff is too." Tails glanced at Shadow, but did as he asked.

"Okay, the defenses are down. And our stuff is four floors up in this room," Tails said, pointing at the screen.

"Got it," Shadow said. He walked over to the console and picked up the blue gem.

"Chaos…control!" Shadow shouted. There was a brief flash of light and Shadow was gone!

"Shadow!" Sonic called, hoping Shadow could hear him. Tails quickly went through all the camera feeds.

"There! He's with our stuff!" Tails shouted. Shadow was waving at the camera. He quickly scooped up the packs and held up the emerald again. Another flash of light appeared in the camera and Shadow appeared behind them.

"Shadow!" Sonic said excitedly.

"I just wanted to see if I could do it. But now we can get out of here!" Shadow shouted. There was a pounding on the door.

"Open this door, hedgehogs!" Eggman shouted.

"Not a chance!" Sonic called back. "Tails, how fast can you download what Eggman has on us?"

"Shouldn't take too long. Why?" Tails asked.

"When we get out of here, we need someone to believe us. Just… pull as much as you can." Tails nodded.

"On it," he affirmed. He quickly connected his computer to the mainframe. "Come on, come on, come on, come on," Tails mumbled. A progress bar popped up on his laptop. It slowly filled up to halfway.

"Major power supply missing. Explosion imminent," the computer said.

"Crap," Silver said.

"Grab the emeralds, guys!" Tails shouted. Sonic and Silver pulled out an emerald each and shouldered their packs. "Let's get out of here!" He unplugged his laptop.

"Do you have enough?" Sonic asked.

"I hope so," Tails responded.

"Grab my hand guys," Shadow said. Sonic laced fingers with Shadow. Tails and Silver grabbed hands and held onto Shadow's arm.

"Ready!" Silver shouted. The computer's voice came back on.

"Explosion in 5…4… 3… 2… 1…"

"**Chaos control!**" Shadow shouted.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: And that's the perfect place to end this chapter.<strong>

**Sonic: Oh, come on!**

**Shadow: Why all the cliffhangers?**

**Me: They are SO much fun to write. You have no idea.**

**Sonic: Write the next chapter soon.**

**Me: Oh, I will.**

**REVIEW!**


	23. Cleaning Up

**Me: Chapter twenty-three! The ideas just keep on coming.**

**Sonic: Are you done torturing us? Can we get back to romance?**

**Me: Maybe. We'll have to see what happens next.**

**Shadow: Come on, you've GOT to have run out of ideas!**

**Me: Nope. There's still a bit more running around in my head.**

**Sonic: What could you possibly have in mind!**

**Me: You'll have to wait and find out!**

* * *

><p>The squirrel peeked around from behind the tree it was behind. Wary of any predators in the area, it scurried down the tree trunk and hopped to the ground. It rose on its hind legs, sniffing the air, hoping to get a sniff of any food in the area. It quickly dashed into the small clearing ahead. It rose up again on its legs, sniffing the air. There was nothing ahead save a small, clear stream. It ran forward and dipped its head into the stream, lapping up some water. Suddenly, it lifted its head and turned around. There was nothing there. Still terrified, it ran away as fast as it could. A bright, white light filled the tiny clearing. Suddenly, four figures appeared on the grass. The blue one opened his eyes.<p>

"We're safe!" he shouted.

"We're alive!" the yellow one yelled.

"And it's all thanks to you, Shadow," Sonic said. Suddenly, there was a massive explosion in the distance.

"I guess we blew up Eggman's base," Tails said.

"Oh, well. No loss for us!" Sonic said.

"Wait," Shadow said. "We can't celebrate yet."

"And why the hell not?" Sonic demanded. "We escaped Eggman's base! We're back in our own bodies now!"

"But you forget. The box we found in the math department's office," Shadow said.

"What about it?" Silver asked.

"We don't know who it belongs to. There's still a spy in the math wing! Whoever it is was a close ally to Eggman. Otherwise, they wouldn't have had that box we found!" Shadow argued.

"I guess we're going back to the school, then," Sonic said. The boys nodded.

"Now where the hell are we?" Silver asked. Sonic rifled through his pack.

"Got it!" Sonic said triumphantly. He pulled out the GPS. He looked at it for a moment. "Yep! Still works!" His smile faltered for a moment. "And by the date, we've been in there for three days…"

"Three days?" Tails asked, shocked. "Everyone must be worried sick about us! We have to go! Now!" Tails started running through the forest, but Shadow caught him.

"You're forgetting something," he said. He pulled out the Chaos Emerald. "Let's head to your lab, Tails and see if we can undo the handicaps Eggman put on us." Tails nodded and held onto Shadow's arm. Sonic grabbed Shadow's hand and gave it a squeeze. Silver held onto Tails and nodded at Shadow.

"Chaos control!" Shadow shouted. The four vanished. The squirrel peeked out from behind the tree it was hiding behind. It looked around for the four intruders and tried to listen for footsteps. Hearing nothing, it went back to the stream to drink more water.

* * *

><p>The four boys appeared in Tails' workshop. Tails fell to the ground in a heap. He sprung up and ran to the computer bank he had set up. After typing in a few commands, a wall section moved, revealing what looked like a laser pointer. Tails walked over to it and picked it up. Sonic walked up to Tails.<p>

"What is that?" Sonic asked.

"It's a laser cutter. This should be able to cut through your cuffs and my metal ties. Silver's headgear is going to be harder to figure out how to undo. And Shadow…" Tails trailed off. "I'll just make you a new pair of shoes. Better this time. Faster." Shadow gave a small smile, but it disappeared quickly.

"God, I feel so useless!" Shadow said. "You guys got serious handicaps and all I got was a different pair of shoes…"

"Hey," Sonic said. "Your ability to use Chaos Control is what got us out of there. Without you, we wouldn't have made it out at all."

"Sonic's right," Silver put in. "We needed you. So don't feel bad."

"Guys!" Tails shouted. "Enough with feeling sorry and worrying about what Eggman did. We have to get to the school! We need to see what's happened while we were gone. Let's get working!" Tails tossed the laser cutter to Silver, who caught it effortlessly. Silver bent down to Sonic's ankles.

"Stay absolutely still," Silver commanded. Sonic just nodded. Silver pushed the button, making the laser cutter jump to life. Silver shut it off, trying not to leave a mark on the floor. He carefully pointed the laser directed out of the cuffs and turned it on. The metal cut like butter, with Silver making a clean cut downward. He repeated the procedure on the other side. With a soft clank, the first cuff fell to the floor.

"Don't move," Silver said again, sensing Sonic's need to run around. With two more deft cuts, the other cuff fell off.

"**Yes**!" Sonic shouted. In half a second, he started dashing around the room, feeling freedom to run again. He skidded to a stop in front of Shadow, giving him a peck on the cheek.

"Thanks for saving us," he said. Shadow smiled a little bit.

"I'm just happy you're okay," Shadow said.

"And I'm happy you're okay." Sonic hugged his boyfriend tightly and kissed him gently on the neck. Tails cleared his throat.

"We can get back to romance after this is all over," Tails said curtly. "Now can someone get these off my tails?" Silver walked over with the laser cutter in his hand. "Be careful, Silv."

"You know I will," Silver promised. He gently pushed back the fur and looked at the metal zip ties holding the two tails together. With a confused grunt, he looked at the zip ties from all angles. Suddenly, he smiled.

"Tails, do you have lube of some kind?" he asked.

"Yeah…why?" Tails said after a moment's confusion.

"These ties look loose enough to just pull off. I just need something to make them a little more slick," Silver explained. Tails walked back to the computer bank and typed in a few commands. The walls closed and opened up a minute later with some lube on a shelf. Silver walked over and picked it up. He glanced at the bottle and laughed.

"What?" Tails asked.

"This isn't the type of lube I meant," Silver choked out. Sonic and Shadow started rolling on the floor, laughing. Tails blushed heavily.

"That's all I could think of!" he protested. Silver walked back over, still laughing.

"It'll definitely work, though. Just hold still." Silver squeezed some lube onto his fingers and rubbed it into the two tails. He coated the area just beyond the zip ties and got as much of it as he could inside them. With a gentle pull, they started to slide off. In a minute, all three of the zip ties were on the floor.

"Now I need a shower…" Tails complained.

"I think we all do," Sonic said, wrinkling his nose at Shadow.

"You don't smell any better yourself, hot stuff," Shadow responded dryly.

"Aren't you guys forgetting something?" Silver asked, pointing to his headgear.

"Oh! Right!" Tails said. He looked intently in Silver's fur, trying to see where the mental handicap was braced. "Hmmm…" Tails grunted. "It looks like some of it is embedded in your scalp. This could hurt a little bit." Tails gingerly pulled out one of the wires. A small trickle of blood escaped the point where the wire was stuck.

"Ow," Silver grunted.

"Sorry, Silv! But I have to do this!" Tails apologized. He slowly pulled the full length of the wire out. "There. It's out. But there are three more I need to take out. Hold still…" After five more minutes, the wires were all out of Silver's head. Tails gingerly removed the headgear, which slipped off effortlessly this time. Silver massaged his temples and lifted up a notebook sitting on a table with his mind. He smiled.

"It's good to be back," he commented.

"How long will it take you to make my shoes?" Shadow asked Tails.

"Umm…I'm not sure. What exactly did the shoes do?"

"They channeled air coming in from the front to below my feet, giving me a cushion of air to skate on," Shadow replied. Tails thought for a moment. He suddenly lit up.

"I've got it! Just give me about ten minutes to design them and the machines here will make them." Tails dashed over to the computer bank and started clicking and typing, designing the shoes Shadow needed. A soft whirring could be heard behind the wall. Tails grinned triumphantly and got up from the keyboard. The wall slid open to reveal a new pair of shoes. Shadow walked over to inspect them.

"Not bad, Tails. They look almost identical to the other pair!"

"This pair is a lot faster than the other one. Test them out for me!" Shadow kicked off the plain pair and slid on the new one.

"How did you know my size?" Shadow asked, curious.

"You and Sonic are almost identical in height, so your shoe sizes must be similar, so I went off of Sonic's shoe size." Shadow crouched down to lace them up. He looked up and tensed his muscles. Suddenly, he shot off and dashed around the room. He skidded to a stop in front of Tails.

"Awesome," Shadow commented before dashing off again.

"Shadow, we need to focus!" Tails called.

"Actually, showers for each of us should be the first thing," Shadow said as he walked back. Sonic walked up to Shadow and whispered in his ear.

"How about you and me save some hot water together," he whispered huskily. Shadow casually put his hands in his pocket and held onto his growing erection.

"Sounds good to me," he replied with a grin.

"Yeah, yeah, we know," Silver said dryly. "Go take your shower together." He rolled his eyes. A blush formed on Shadow's muzzle. Sonic grabbed Shadow's hand.

"I'll show you where the shower is," Sonic said.

"And can we wash our clothes too? We've been living in them for days," Shadow asked. Tails shrugged.

"Can you work a washer and dryer?" Tails asked. Shadow nodded. "Go ahead, then." Shadow followed Sonic out of the workshop and back into the decoy room. The lift traveled upwards and the pair stepped off. Sonic opened the door that led to the rest of the house. He peeked around the corner. No one was in sight.

"Why are we-" Shadow started to ask.

"Shh!" Sonic hissed. Shadow shrank back.

"Why are we sneaking around?" Shadow whispered.

"In case Tails' mom decides to show up. I don't want to have to explain everything to her," Sonic responded. Sensing the coast was clear, Sonic walked around and led Shadow to the bathroom. He closed the door and pinned Shadow to the wall, mashing their lips together. Shadow let out a light moan from the unexpected action. They separated and gazed deeply into each other's eyes. Shadow closed the gap again, his tongue brushing against Sonic's lips, seeking entry. Sonic parted his lips. Shadow's tongue shot into Sonic's mouth and began to explore and feel around. He grazed over Sonic's tongue, and Sonic let out a soft moan.

Shadow smirked when he felt Sonic's hardening member push against his own. Sonic separated from Shadow to get some air. He panted and looked into Shadow's eyes, searching them, seeing all of who Shadow was and is and loving him entirely. Shadow pecked him on the lips one last time.

"Let's get the shower going. We don't want to spend too long here," Shadow said. Sonic reluctantly parted from him and turned on the shower. He stripped off his grimy shirt and pants, leaving his underwear on. Shadow growled a little bit.

"Impatient, are we?" Sonic called over his shoulder. He stepped into the shower and closed the curtain. The pair of underwear came sailing over the curtain rod and landed in front of Shadow. "Come and get me," Sonic whispered. Shadow instantly peeled off his shirt and pants. He threw the underwear on the ground and jumped into the shower with Sonic, who pinned Shadow to the wall and started kissing him passionately. Shadow grabbed hold of Sonic's back and started grinding their hips together, eliciting a moan from each of them. Feeling Sonic's rock-hard erection against his own, Shadow reached down and slowly stroked Sonic up and down.

"Mmmm…"Sonic groaned. Shadow kissed him gently on the lips. His other hand ran down from Sonic's shoulder and traced his collarbone gently. His fingers ghosted down Sonic's chest slowly stroked the bare patch on his stomach. Shadow stopped rubbing Sonic and he started to whine. Shadow put a finger to his lips and then sank down to his knees. He looked hungrily at Sonic's hard member, which was now dripping.

Shadow licked his lips and licked Sonic's erection from base to tip. Sonic laced his fingers in Shadow's quills, urging him to keep going. Shadow suddenly engulfed Sonic's entire dick, taking all of it inside his mouth. Sonic moaned louder, loving the feeling. Shadow slowly bobbed his head up and down, giving his lover the most pleasure possible. He brought up a hand and cupped Sonic's balls. He gently massaged them, making Sonic moan once more.

"Ngh. Shadow… I'm close…" Sonic said after a minute longer. Shadow pulled back and let Sonic's member pop out of his mouth. Sonic looked down with a pleading look. Shadow just grinned and stood back up. He turned around and bent over at the waist, exposing his entrance. He braced his arms on the side of the shower.

"Just needed to make you as hard as possible. Now come and get me," Shadow growled. Sonic quickly coated three of his fingers in spit in pushed one into Shadow. His breath hitched at the sudden intrusion, but did his best to relax his muscles. Sonic wiggled his finger around and pushed in a second finger. Shadow hissed. His body wasn't used to this. At least, not yet.

"Are you okay?" Sonic asked worriedly. Shadow nodded.

"Keep…going…" Shadow panted. Sonic scissored his fingers inside Shadow's tight entrance and worked slowly on widening it. He slowly pushed in a third finger and spread them out. He curled them around, feeling around inside. Shadow suddenly moaned loudly as Sonic brushed his sweet spot. Sonic grinned and pulled his fingers out. He positioned himself right behind Shadow.

"You ready?" Sonic asked. Shadow simply nodded. Sonic slowly pushed his member inside Shadow, being careful not to hurt him. "It's in. Just relax," Sonic said. Shadow focused on keeping his breathing slow and steady. He slowly relaxed his muscles. Shadow pulled forward and thrust back, showing he was ready. Sonic pulled out some of the way and gently pushed back in. Shadow's breath hitched. This felt a little different from when he was in Sonic's body. Probably because Sonic's body had done this for longer.

Sonic started to slowly speed up and suddenly hit Shadow's sweet spot again. He moaned loudly and pushed back harder to get more pressure there. Sonic grinned and started to push harder on that spot. Shadow brought a hand up and started stroking himself. Both males started to moan and pant from exertion.

"Oh, Shadow…" Sonic panted.

"S-s-sonic…"Shadow moaned in response. "I'm close…"

"Same…"Sonic replied. Shadow couldn't take it anymore and cried out as he orgasmed. His muscles clenched and held onto Sonic's member in a tight grip. That sent Sonic over the edge and he coated Shadow's insides with his white, sticky cum. Sonic panted and pulled out. A drip of cum trickled out of Shadow's entrance. Shadow stood back up but he was breathing hard. He kissed Sonic passionately, but broke off in seconds to get air. Sonic just smiled at him and pecked him on the lips.

"Let's get cleaned up." Sonic turned around. "Would you mind getting my back?"

"Not at all," Shadow replied sweetly. He poured some shampoo into his hand and rubbed it into Sonic's wet quills. He rubbed it all over Sonic's back and gently massaged it.

"Ooh, you're good at that," Sonic said. Shadow grinned.

"Glad you like my massaging." Shadow worked on Sonic's back for a few minutes and then poured some conditioner into his hand. He rubbed it into Sonic's fur and washed it out with water. "Looking good, Sonic," Shadow said. Sonic quickly washed the rest of his body and then turned around.

"Your turn." Shadow turned around and he could feel Sonic working the shampoo into his fur. It was a little strange, having someone else wash your own body. He couldn't say he didn't like it, but it certainly was different.

"Done," Sonic finally said. Shadow cleaned himself up and looked back at his boyfriend. He took another good look at Sonic's body, appreciating every little detail. Sonic smirked.

"Like what you see?"

"You know I do," Shadow responded. Shadow stepped forward and brought Sonic into a tight embrace. "Thank you…" Shadow said.

"For what?" Sonic asked.

"For loving me. For being there for me. For just being you," Shadow answered simply. Sonic reached back and shut off the water. The two separated, each with a smile on their face.

"Let's dry off and get our clothes into the washer. Hope Tails doesn't mind seeing us in towels for a little while. It might be a while for our clothes to get washed completely."

"He did see us naked that one morning when we were camping…" Shadow said.

"That is true," Sonic conceded.

They dried themselves off and wrapped towels around their midsections. Shadow scooped up their clothes and followed Sonic out of the bathroom. Sonic led Shadow into the laundry room. Shadow tossed the clothes into the washer and started it up. The two walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. Shadow curled up and rested his head on Sonic's chest. Sonic lovingly stroked Shadow's quills. Shadow looked up and smiled. He was so lucky to have Sonic as his. They kissed one more time.

Tails walked into the living room, looked at the two hedgehogs, and walked over to the garage. Silver emerged from the garage and the two made their way to the shower together.

"Looks like they had the same idea as we did," Sonic commented.

"Either that or they just stole it," Shadow responded. Sonic sighed contentedly.

"I'm glad I can call you mine," Sonic said. Shadow brought his head up again and the two connected with another kiss.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Wow, that was long.<strong>

**Sonic: You're telling me! And barely any plot!**

**Shadow: Yeah, what gives?**

**Me: Every chapter can't be ALL plot. There has to be some fluff.**

**Sonic: When I write, it'll all be plot.**

**Me: Good luck with that.**

**REVIEW!**


	24. Back to the School

**Sonic: How many more chapters are you going to do?**

**Me: Honestly, not a clue.**

**Shadow: But what about plot? What do you have planned?**

**Me: I have a few ideas. But I'm not spilling the beans!**

**Sonic: Please? Just a hint?**

**Me: Not a chance. Now let me write!**

* * *

><p>Silver entered the living room with a towel around his waist with Tails trailing behind with a fresh change of clothes on. "I take it you two are washing your clothes too," Sonic commented. Silver flopped down on a nearby chair.<p>

"Cross your legs, Silver," Shadow said. "_Please_." Silver flushed in embarrassment and crossed his legs in a flash. Sonic snickered.

"So what's the plan now?" Silver asked as Tails cuddled up to him. Silver wrapped his arm lovingly around him and kissed his forehead.

"Well, we know there's someone involved with Eggman at the school, so we should start there," Tails said.

"But we can't go in without knowing what we're dealing with," Sonic argued.

"Sonic's right," Shadow said. "Tails, do you think we have any personnel information on the flash drive? Maybe when we downloaded the data on the Black Arms we got some about the employees."

"It's a long-shot, but I'll check anyways," Tails replied. He tried to peel back Silver's arm, but Silver held firm.

"Hey! Don't I at least get a kiss before you run off?" Silver whined. Tails rolled his eyes but smiled. He pecked Silver on the lips and got up.

"I should be right back. This shouldn't take long." Tails made his way to the garage to his workshop access. Sonic and Shadow looked at each other.

"We should follow him," Sonic said.

"Agreed," Shadow and Silver said simultaneously. The trio got up and started to run to the garage.

"Tails, wait!" Silver called, one arm extended. His other arm grabbed the towel around his waist as he could feel it sliding down. Sonic grinned evilly at Shadow, who covered his mouth to hide his laughter. Silver opened the door to the garage just before Tails could activate the lift. Sonic seized the chance and yanked hard on Silver's towel, throwing it behind himself. Silver stopped cold in the doorway. Sonic and Shadow instantly started laughing. Shadow managed to whistle loudly through his laughter. Silver spun around and glared at the two laughing hedgehogs. He closed his eyes and their two towels flew off and into the house behind them.

"Still think it's funny?" Silver demanded. Sonic looked at Shadow and eyed him up and down. Shadow did the same, both of them beginning to get erections.

"No, but I like what I see," Sonic said.

"Guys!" Tails shouted. "I do **not **need to see any of this!"

Sonic and Shadow raced back inside the house and grabbed their towels. Sonic sighed and picked up Silver's towel and handed it to him. Silver grabbed it roughly and tied it back around his waist.

"Satisfied?" Silver asked. Sonic cocked his head to the side.

"Nope, not yet," Sonic said as he yanked Silver's towel off again and threw it to Tails. Sonic and Shadow held onto their towels tightly. Silver just rolled his eyes and walked back to Tails. He picked up his towel and wrapped it around his waist one last time. Sonic and Shadow walked over to them and stood on the lift.

"Are we done? Cause we have work to do," Tails said. Sonic smiled and nodded.

Tails went over to the keypad and punched in the code. He walked back to the elevator and the four started to descend into the workshop. Once they reached the bottom, they all walked through the holographic wall. Tails walked to his computer bank and plugged in the flash drive. The computer scanned the drive and uploaded its contents.

"Now… Let's see what we found…" Tails mumbled.

"But what about what you told us back in the lab?" Shadow asked.

"That was just on the mainframe," Tails explained. "The computer Sonic got into wasn't connected to anything. To put it in layman's terms, it was a computer island." Multiple dialogue boxes opened on the monitor. Tails glanced at each of them and kept searching.

"What are you looking for?" Silver asked.

"Access times. Those cages were opened, and someone had to do it. I just need to find out who and when." Tails kept searching. He stopped and looked intently at one of the open windows. "Here it is," Tails said. "The cages weren't forced open, right?" Tails asked. Sonic nodded. "Then this person was the one who opened them. A Mr. Bryan Briggs." Silver's eyes widened.

"That's my math teacher!" Silver exclaimed.

"I guess we know who it is now," Sonic said.

"Then let's go!" Shadow shouted. "We need to stop him before he does anything else! I mean, he had the box we found and could control us to some extent. Who knows what else he could do to us."

"Not so fast," Silver said. "We need a plan. He normally stays after school for… quite a few hours, actually. We could confront him then."

"But if things go bad, we might want someone around to help us," Tails pointed out. Sonic thought for a moment.

"Does he have a period where he's not doing anything?" Sonic asked.

"Actually, yes," Silver said. "It's fourth period, so the middle of the day. He's normally in the Math Office. If anything goes wrong, everyone will be in the school." Shadow nodded.

"Good. So we need to figure out what we need to do."

"How about we just confront him about what we found at the labs?" Tails offered. "He'll probably also be surprised to see us in school, so that means sneaking in during the day. Let's see..." Tails thought for a brief second. "We have to go in soon. It's 9:30 right now… so that means it's almost second period. We go in, tell him that we contacted the police about what we found there concerning the failed tests, cruelty, and the Black Arms. That should at least throw him off balance. I'll pretend to have camera feeds of what you guys saw. And **that** is what will make him crumble. We could tell him that if he turns himself in, he won't go to jail." Shadow nodded, impressed with Tails' idea.

"But what about our families?" Silver asked. "They at _least_have to know we're safe." Tails nodded vigorously.

"Of course!" Tails affirmed. "But it will have to wait until after we confront Mr. Briggs. I doubt our parents would want us to do anything. But I know we have to do this ourselves." Shadow and Sonic shuffled nervously.

"Can we all go see our families together?" Sonic asked, his eyes focused on the floor. "We don't know what happened to ours."

"And not to mention my house burned to the ground…" Shadow sighed. Silver walked up to the pair and rested a hand on each of their shoulders.

"Of course we'll come with you. We've all been through a lot and we need all the support we can get." Silver's towel slipped to the floor again. Sonic chuckled softly. Silver picked it up telekinetically and held it in place with his mind, not wanting it to fall another time.

"But will anyone believe us?" Shadow asked. "I mean, it's a tough story to swallow. It sounds almost too sci-fi for it to be real."

"I have enough evidence on my computer to prove everything," Tails piped up. "And besides, if we were to leave town for a couple days, why would we cook up this story? And go to such great lengths to prove it? We have the Chaos Emeralds, the data from the Black Arms; I have some of the schematics for Eggman's base, the information about the teleporter pods, the psychic transferal process, some of the testing data… All of that would have taken me weeks to write up. They **have** to believe us."

"I hope you're right," Shadow said.

"Then let's get going. We have a lot of people to talk to…" Sonic said. He suddenly slapped his forehead. "Knuckles! I totally forgot about Knuckles!" Shadow cracked his knuckles.

"I'll take care of him. Don't worry about that," Shadow said.

"But I should be the one to break up with him… If I told him that I fell in love with you, he'll definitely tell everyone that I'm gay and a whore… I can't handle that!" Shadow looked Sonic in the eye.

"Sonic," Shadow began, "were you happy with Knuckles at all?"

"At the beginning it was fantastic. I felt like I was walking on clouds all the time."

"But what about now?"

"Well… I'm in love with you," Sonic said. Shadow shook his head.

"I meant before now. The last thing you remember feeling about Knuckles."

"I don't know… He was all about the sex. I mean, you saw it. He probably didn't even ask about where I was or what happened…"

"Then there's your answer."

"Answer to what?" Sonic asked, confused.

"You have a reason to break up with him other than me. You're not happy with the relationship anymore. Knuckles is looking for sex, and you're looking for love."

"But what if he threatens me?" Sonic asked. Shadow cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders.

"Then he'll have me to answer to. It's going to be okay," Shadow assured. Sonic nodded.

"Let's get our clothes into the dryer," Sonic said.

The four boys walked back to the elevator and traveled back to the garage. Tails opened the door to the house and walked inside. He veered around a corner and into the kitchen. Sonic quickly followed and ran to the laundry room. The wash was done, but everything still needed to be dried. Sonic picked up all the clothes and stuffed them into the dryer.

"How long will the dryer take?" Sonic asked.

"About thirty minutes…" Tails said.

"Okay, I guess we just have to wait," Sonic said. "Do you think we'll need anything from your workshop?" Tails shook his head.

"I doubt it. I mean, he's just a teacher. What could he possibly do?"

"You're right," Sonic agreed.

"But we should at least have a plan in case things go wrong," Shadow put in.

Sonic sighed. "All right, we'll work on that." The four boys sat down in the living room and started to plan out every possible outcome. Soon enough, the dryer finished. The three hedgehogs pulled out their still warm clothes and pulled them on.

"Ready?" Tails asked. The three nodded. They all left Tails' house one last time and walked out into the street. Sonic stopped short.

"We should probably take the forest trail again," Sonic said. "We don't want to be seen walking up to the school."

"Sounds like a good idea," Silver said, walking towards the trees. "You guys coming?" he asked over his shoulder. Sonic and Shadow raced ahead to catch up and Tails took to the sky, flexing his tail muscles. The four cautiously made their way through the woods and quickly spotted the back of the school. They crouched down behind a bush and looked at the building.

"How are we getting in again?" Sonic asked.

Silver pointed. "The window to the Math Office is still open! We can sneak in there, and Mr. Briggs should come in in a few minutes. What time is it, Tails?"

"It's 10:17. Fourth period is going to start in about five minutes," Tails responded.

The four boys raced ahead and leaped into the office. No one was in there yet. Tails surveyed the room, checking for anything that could link the teacher to Eggman. There was nothing there. Just stacks of papers to grade and paperwork to complete. The bell rang out in the hallways. Voices drifted through the door from all the students talking and walking past. Suddenly, they could hear a key being inserted into the door.

"Get ready," Silver said. The door unlocked and Mr. Briggs walked in. He was a tall, imposing human. He was wearing glasses with sharp, black rims. His shirt was black, like always, and his black pants completed the menacing ensemble. He was imposing even on his worst days, but the four boys were determined. He glanced at them and shut the door behind him.

"I've been expecting you," Mr. Briggs said as he locked the door. That froze them cold.

"W-w-what?" Sonic breathed.

"Oh, yes," the teacher said, turning around. "I would have thought you would have escaped Eggman's base yesterday, but alas, he wanted to do more tests on you." Tails broke out of his scared state first.

"We know everything!" he said. "We have evidence from Eggman's base about the horrible things he was doing. And since you were a part of it, you could be jailed! I have all the information about the Black Arms and some of the camera feeds to prove what we saw. If you turn yourself in now, you won't be charged." Mr. Briggs laughed coldly.

"You really thought you could scare me into turning myself in?" Mr. Briggs tsked. "You really should have come more prepared. It's my word against yours. Who will they believe? An adult? Or four high schoolers?"

"But we have your box!" Tails argued.

Mr. Briggs laughed once more. All four boys froze cold. "Oh, that little toy. It is useless now. But sleep. All of you, sleep." He said soothingly. Sonic felt his eyes growing heavy.

"No…" he whispered.

"Yes…" Mr. Briggs whispered back. "Sleep for now. There is much to talk about later." With a muffled thump, the four boys fell to the ground, asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Sonic: Another freaking cliffhanger?<strong>

**Me: You expected an ending here?**

**Sonic: Not sure, but something else.**

**Me: Well, you get what you get.**

**Shadow: So who is Mr. Briggs? How does he have that power?**

**Me: You will see.**

**REVIEW!**


	25. One Last Escape

**Me: Yes! Chapter twenty-five! I can't believe I've written so much!**

**Sonic: I know. This has dragged on ****_forever!_**

**Me: Oh, knock it off. You know you had fun.**

**Sonic: Okay, maybe a little.**

**Shadow: But what about me? And running around in my body?**

**Sonic: That was fun…**

**Me: Take care of this later. I have a chapter to write!**

* * *

><p>Shadow's red eyes snapped open. He looked around to see where he was, and it definitely wasn't the Math Department's office. The walls looked organic, and were a pulsing purple color. Shadow instantly remembered where he had seen this before. It was the overlook in Eggman's base! That meant the Black Arms were here! Shadow tried to twist around to defend himself, but he was securely fastened down. Shadow gazed downward and saw that he was strapped to a metal table, but it had hinges on the sides, which seemed to allow it to pivot vertically. He grunted against the straps.<p>

"Is someone there?" a voice called.

"It's me! Shadow!" the ebony hedgehog called.

"Shadow! It's Sonic! I'm stuck!" Sonic shouted.

"I'm trapped too. There's nothing I can do…" Shadow responded.

Suddenly, it felt like a dark presence had entered the room. Sonic and Shadow both fell silent. A deep, booming chuckle echoed around the room.

"Well, well, well," the deep voice said. "It looks like my prisoners have awakened."

"Who are you! Show yourself!" Sonic called out.

Shadow felt his table pivoting downward. He looked around. Tails and Silver were on similar tables, but both of them were asleep. Sonic was fighting for all he was worth against the straps tying him down. Shadow tried to get a better look at the room. There seemed to be nothing below them, only darkness overtaking the meager light the walls gave off.

"Stop struggling, Sonic!" Shadow called. "We don't know how deep this pit is!"

"Oh, but I do," the deep voice said again.

"Who are you!" Shadow and Sonic called simultaneously. A form began to rise out of the darkness of the pit. Gaining shape and color. Both of the young hedgehogs gasped at the figure emerging.

It had three glowing red eyes on its head that seemed to pierce through them and see their very souls. Two horns protruded out horizontally, with red markings on the ends that seemed eerily similar to Shadow's coloration. It was wearing an old, tattered purple robe with gold that adorned the cuffs and neck, while several chains with ornaments adorned its front. The creature had no legs but it levitated towards the two and gazed at each of them.

"Wh-wh-who are you?" Shadow choked out. The creature laughed.

"I am known by many names, given by many cultures. Beelzebub, Diabolos, Voland, Der Leibhaftige, Mammon, Leviathan. But all of which fail to truly capture my essence."

Sonic wrinkled his nose. "You got that right! I can smell you all the way over here!"

"You dare mock me, mortal!" the creature shouted angrily.

Both hedgehogs visibly shrank back at the tone surrounding those words and they both heard a scream from the other side of the room. The monster slowly turned to face the other side. Tails was hyperventilating and staring at the apparition floating near the middle of the room. Silver stirred and shook his head. He looked at what Tails was staring at. He steeled himself, preparing for whatever that could come his way.

"Be strong, Tails. We'll be okay," Silver said.

"How amusing," the creature said. "Caring. Such a pitiful emotion."

"Just tell me who you are!" Sonic interrupted. The monstrosity turned to face Sonic.

"I am known as Black Doom."

"No… it can't be!" Tails exclaimed. "Eggman's data said that you had been destroyed!"

Black Doom chuckled. "What he destroyed was an apparition of my own creation, made to look, think, and act like me. But unlike me, the illusion was mortal. When he discovered the cavern, he awakened all the beings inside. You see, I had made this cavern long ago. But my armies on a distant planet were in need of me. I put this one into hibernation.

"When the doctor stumbled upon this, he set off an alarm. I came as quickly as I could, but the damage was done. He had trapped my offspring. But I was patient. He needed to be punished, and I saw an opportunity. I've seen you fight him in the past, Sonic. So I put it in his mind to take you in for some experiment. You of course, were captured and brought here. I saw that you two wouldn't get out on your own, so I helped you ever so slightly to escape. One or two doors unlocked, a few ideas planted in your mind, and leaving the facility was no longer difficult. However, once you escaped, I knew you would have trouble returning. The box you discovered was an error on my part. I had used it to push you in the right direction, and you have triumphed beautifully. And now that he is out of the way, the Black Arms can now take control of this pitiful planet. As a reward for helping me extract my revenge against the doctor, I will allow you four to live."

"You're not going to get away with this!" Sonic called out. "I'm not going to let you!"

"Oh, no?" Black Doom asked, amused. "How can you when you're trapped?" Sonic locked eyes with Silver, who nodded.

"Who says we're trapped?" Sonic asked slyly.

At that exact moment, Silver undid all the straps and flew all four of them quickly to the bottom. They zoomed up before they could hit the ground and started to fly through the hallways, Silver making any turns. None of them spoke. They didn't know the way, but they knew they had to get away as fast as possible.

"I can see light!" Sonic called. Silver sped up to get them out of the tunnels, but suddenly lost control. They four fell to the ground and rolled a few feet forward.

"I can't move!" Tails choked out.

"Neither can I…" Sonic responded. "Silver… can you use your powers?"

"I can't… something's stopping me!" A deep laugh came from behind them.

"That would be me," Black Doom laughed. "I know all about you, Silver the Hedgehog. It wasn't difficult to manufacture a gas to paralyze all of you and prevent Silver from activating his powers."

"Oh, yes?" Shadow said. Black Doom narrowed his eyes at Shadow. Shadow stood up and looked at Black Doom. "Well, it doesn't affect me."

"Impossible!" the alien roared.

"What I find more impossible," Shadow began, "is the fact that you missed this." Shadow pulled out the Chaos Emerald. He dashed over to his fallen friends and grabbed their hands. "Chaos control!" Shadow shouted. The four vanished and reappeared near Eggman's destroyed base. Sonic looked around. He could see a small crater where the base once stood.

"Why'd you bring us here, Shadz?" the cobalt hedgehog asked.

"It was just the first place that came into my mind," Shadow shrugged. Suddenly, a white light appeared next to them. They turned away and shielded their eyes. When the light dimmed, Shadow squinted over. Black Doom was hovering there, just a few feet away.

"But how!" Shadow shouted.

"You are not the only one who can utilize the Emeralds' powers," he laughed as a red emerald floated out from behind him. Sonic and Silver suddenly locked eyes.

"Pull hard, Silver!" Sonic called out.

Black Doom narrowed his eyes. Silver tensed up and brought his hands up in a fighting stance. He closed his eyes to focus his energy and opened them in a flash. The red emerald began to slowly drift towards Silver. Black Doom tensed and focused his will on the emerald floating in front of him. The emerald hung motionless in the air, the two beings' wills nearly matching. Silver snarled and his eyes suddenly began to glow. The emerald shot forward and Silver caught it in his hand. Black Doom chuckled and let go.

"What's so funny?" Sonic demanded. Three more Chaos Emeralds floated out from behind Black Doom.

"But that's impossible!" Sonic shouted.

The emeralds began to glow being in such close proximity to the rest. Sonic, Silver, and Shadow brought out their Emeralds in wonder. Black Doom narrowed his blood red eyes.

"So all the Chaos Emeralds have been gathered here. Well, well, well. This changes things drastically." He focused his mind and began to draw the rest of the Emeralds to himself. Sonic held onto his emerald tightly, but Shadow lost his grip on his emerald.

Shadow looked at Black Doom angrily. "You're not taking these!" He dashed forward as fast as he could and leaped up towards Black Doom. He met the monster's chest with a hard drive. The creature lost his concentration and fell backwards to the ground. Shadow fell with a thud but picked himself up quickly and dashed back to his friends.

The Chaos Emeralds all fell to the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Silver gathered them all up with his mind. But suddenly, they began to float on their own. Silver widened his amber eyes in wonder. Sonic and Shadow walked closer to see what was going on.

"No!" Black Doom shouted.

The emeralds began to make a circle around the three hedgehogs. They slowly floated around them, mesmerizing everyone watching. Then with a sudden blast of light, they shot towards the trio. They braced for the painful impact, and fell to their knees at the feeling. Their heads were bowed and a single hand braced them to the ground. A strange feeling engulfed them. It felt invigorating, powerful, and almost terrifying. They all looked up. Black Doom was floating a few yards away. He growled and flew off. The three hedgehogs got up and started to brush themselves off, but stopped.

"Guys…" Sonic whispered. "Why am I yellow?" Shadow looked at himself as best as he could.

"I'm yellow too," he breathed.

"Same here," Silver said quietly. Tails stared at his three friends in wonder.

"I think…" Tails started. "I think the Chaos Emeralds gave you their powers! You need to chase after Black Doom and put a stop to him!"

"But how?" Shadow asked. "He's immortal!"

"You're forgetting the Chaos Emeralds," Tails said. "If Eggman was one hundred percent correct about them, they hold unbelievable power. Maybe even enough to stop Black Doom for good!"

"Awesome!" Sonic shouted as he jumped up. He was shocked when he first jumped higher than ever before and even more surprised when he didn't fall back down to the ground. "What?" he whispered. Shadow and Silver both floated up.

"Holy crap…" Shadow breathed. "What else can we do?" he wondered aloud. The three floated to the ground.

"Chaos control!" Sonic shouted. In a brilliant flash of light, he vanished and reappeared fifty feet away. He smiled broadly and started to dash back, but he ran faster than ever before and ended up one hundred feet away from the rest of the group. He looked down at his glowing body, shocked, but smiling broadly. The golden hedgehog walked back to the group.

"This is incredible!" he shouted.

"You got that right!" Silver responded. He floated up into the air and began to fly around the area. He settled back down with the others, a huge grin plastered across his face. Suddenly, the three sank to the ground with a shout. Their yellow auras faded and the seven Chaos Emeralds fell to the ground around them. Sonic groaned in pain.

"What just happened?" Shadow choked out. Tails bent down to inspect the Emeralds.

"They seem fine…" Tails started. "Maybe their powers are too much for your bodies to handle." He thought for a moment. "But I think I can help contain that. Someone warp us to my workshop. I have some designing to do. But make sure you keep the Emeralds separate. I don't think you guys should do that again until I'm done." Sonic picked up the blue Emerald and Silver picked up the white one.

"Chaos control!" they both shouted at the same time. But instead of warping away, a blue portal formed next to them. Surprised, they dropped their Emeralds.

"What is that?" Shadow asked in wonder.

"I think that's a question better asked later," Tails replied. "We're wasting time! We need to get back to my lab and chase after Black Doom!" Sonic nodded and picked up the Emerald again. Tails gathered up the remaining six and handed two to Shadow and Silver. The four grabbed hands.

"Chaos control!" Sonic shouted. The four vanished and warped away.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Ah, this was fun to write. And there's still more!<strong>

**Sonic: Really?**

**Me: Yep! I am just brimming with ideas.**

**Shadow: Like what?**

**Me: Now that's a secret. On another note, I'm starting to get ideas for a sequel!**

**Sonic: Well, stop talking to us and start working on that!**

**Me: I will.**

**REVIEW!**


	26. The Final Battle

**Me: There's not much left in the story.**

**Sonic: Really?**

**Me: Unfortunately, yes.**

**Shadow: Why can't you just keep writing?**

**Me: Because I don't have enough plot!**

**Sonic: What about the sequel?**

**Me: New story, new plot. It wouldn't work well to just keep going.**

***Sonic sighs***

**Sonic: Keep writing.**

* * *

><p>The four friends appeared deeper in the forest. Silver looked around. "Sonic, you need to work on that," the ivory hedgehog said. Sonic laughed nervously.<p>

"Yeah…" Shadow reached over to Tails and picked up a Chaos Emerald.

"Go for it, Shadow," Sonic said.

"Chaos control!" Shadow shouted. They disappeared once more and appeared in Tails' workshop. Sonic looked around.

"Jeez, how are you so good at that?" Sonic asked.

"Probably because I keep my mind focused. Unlike some _other_ hedgehogs I know," Shadow said cheekily.

"Hey!" Sonic protested. Shadow laughed and held Sonic closely.

"But you do know I love you, right?" Shadow said. He pecked Sonic on the lips.

"Yeah, yeah," Sonic said, rolling his eyes, but he was smiling. They kissed once more.

"Hey guys, we've got work to do!" Tails said. The couple separated and made their way to the computer where Tails was sitting. "I need you guys to put the emeralds on the shelves. I need to analyze the emeralds' powers." The walls opened up and a few shelves pushed forward. Shadow, Sonic and Silver brought the emeralds and placed them on the shelves.

"Hey Tails?" Shadow called.

"Yeah?" Tails responded.

"How come all your machinery is behind the walls and not out here on the floor?"

"Well, I think it looks neater this way. Storage is easier, and it's easier to manipulate everything this way."

"If you say so…" Shadow said. The screen jumped to life with data collected from the emeralds. Tails looked at the data intensely, clicking on new windows that opened, reading everything and taking it in.

"It's weird," Tails finally said. "The emeralds are a pure power source. They generate more power than even an atomic reactor! But this power seems more benign. Imagine powering the world with these!" Tails blue eyes shone with wonder. "There is so much I could learn from these!"

"Let's worry about that later. We have to find Black Doom!" Sonic said.

"You're right, you're right," Tails said. He began to mumble to himself. "Now, I have to prevent the energy fluctuations from devolving into uncontrollable oscillations… Remove the crosstalk interference between the Gaussian Wave packets… Ooh! Maybe if I use D'Alembert's formula to solve the one-dimensional wave equation…" Sonic shook his head.

"I will never understand half of the things he's saying."

"Me either," Shadow responded. Tails started clacking away at the keyboard. He smiled broadly.

"I've got it!" Tails suddenly cried out. A loud whirring could be heard behind the walls. Tails feverishly typed at the keyboard and started to click on different programs. After a few minutes, the walls parted once more. The Chaos Emeralds were floating on the shelves, and on the bottom shelf were three golden rings. Shadow walked over and picked one up.

"This is it?" he asked, confused.

"Yep!" Tails replied proudly. "These rings effectively cancel out the negative energies associated with the Emeralds, letting you stay in your super form!" Sonic walked over and picked one of the other ones up. He got down on one knee and locked eyes with Shadow.

"Shadow," Sonic said seriously. "Would you…" Shadow's breath hitched. "Please wait while I put on my ring?" Shadow sighed, and rolled his eyes. He gently pushed Sonic to the floor.

"Hey!" Sonic cried out as he tumbled to the ground.

"That's what you get for doing that, faker," Shadow said with a grin.

"I am not a faker. I just like to tease!" Sonic replied, laughing.

"Just put on the rings," Tails said. "We have to catch Black Doom!" The four hedgehogs placed their rings on their right ring fingers. Sonic reached up and scooped up the Chaos Emeralds. The cobalt hedgehog brought them back to the group. Once more, they began to float around the hedgehogs. They braced for the impact and felt a surge of power. They all groaned and grunted, feeling the massive amounts of energy flowing through them. The sensation lessened and the three stood up taller. Each of them was yellow with a bright aura surrounding them. Tails grabbed hold of Silver's hand with one hand, and shifted around something in his other hand.

"What are you carrying?" Sonic asked.

"Oh, this?" Tails asked, lifting up his other hand. "It's just a video recorder. I want to watch you guys use your powers so I can study them later." Sonic shrugged.

"How are we going to find Black Doom?" Shadow asked.

"That's the easy part," Tails said. "Silver, I'm sure you can focus on his mind and track him that way."

Silver smiled. "You got it. Just hold onto me." Silver closed his eyes for a brief moment. "Got him. Chaos control!" Silver shouted.

The four vanished from Tails' garage and reappeared in a small clearing. Sonic looked up. True to Silver's prediction, Black Doom was floating above them.

He narrowed his eyes. "So you have managed to find me once more. A pity."

"No, not a pity," Sonic said. "I'm not going to let you destroy our home!"

"I would like to see you try," Black Doom sneered. Shadow roared and shot up to hit Black Doom square in the chest. With a thud, Black Doom was propelled backwards. Shadow flew back to his friends and Sonic and Silver joined him in the air. Black Doom narrowed his eyes.

"So your powers may match my own. Very well." The third eye on Black Doom's forehead began to pulse. It suddenly detached to form a floating six-pointed creature. Something in the three hedgehog's minds clicked. They suddenly knew every power they could possess. With a smile Shadow brought his hands to his front and aimed them at the eye creature,

"Chaos Spear!" Shadow shouted. A beam of light shot out from his hands and pierced the creature. It launched backwards, trailing sticky black blood. Black Doom roared and brought back his hands. A ball of darkness formed and he shot it at the three friends. The three scattered wordlessly and reformed in a ring around Black Doom. They all suddenly shot forward and pummeled the alien. With a shriek, Black Doom fell to the ground. He picked himself up and closed his eyes in concentration. Silver read his mind and saw the powerful and fast attack that was coming their way.

As soon as Black Doom released his built up energy, Silver shouted. "Time stop!" Sonic, Shadow and Silver were still moving around, but Tails, Black Doom and the purple beams aimed at the trio were stopped.

"Nice save!" Sonic commented.

The three moved in closer to Black Doom and suddenly time resumed. The attack flew off into space, harmless. Tails gasped at the sudden movement of his friends. Seizing the opportunity, the three dashed into Black Doom once more, pummeling him into the ground. They separated and Shadow focused his will.

"Chaos Blast!" A ring of pure energy shot from his hands, aimed at Black Doom. The blast burned the ground to a crisp, but Black Doom floated up, unscathed. He laughed coldly.

"Foolish. I am immortal! Do you not remember? I will conquer this Earth for myself. All of its peoples will be under my rule to be used as food for my growing army. I will conquer the universe!" Black Doom said.

"Oh, I know you said that," Shadow commented. "But nobody's immortal. Chaos Rift!" A wormhole opened next to Black Doom and it began to pull him in. But the alien held tightly to his position. The rift closed and Shadow heard a small chink. It almost sounded like metal cracking. Suddenly, an intense pain raged across his body. He cried out and fell to the ground in a heap. His ring broke in two and fell off his finger. The yellow glow faded and he returned to normal.

"Shadow!" Sonic cried. He flew over quickly. "Are you all right?" he asked worriedly.

"I… I'm fine…" Shadow croaked. "Just get this bastard for me." Sonic pecked him on the lips.

"You know I will." Sonic scooped him up and brought him to Tails' side. "Stay here. I want you out of danger." Shadow weakly nodded. Sonic flew back to the battle zone, where Silver was pummeling Black Doom with Chaos Spear after Chaos Spear. He suddenly fell to the ground with a cry. His aura faded. Sonic was the last one with any Chaos Powers. Sonic flew over and brought his ivory friend back to Tails. Sonic dashed back to Black Doom.

"So it's just you and me now," Sonic said, floating in the air.

"Pity this won't last long."

"You got that right! Spear of Light!" A longer, brighter spear launched out of Sonic's hands and hit Black Doom square in the chest. It pierced straight through and lodged in place. "Yes!" Sonic celebrated. The alien looked down at the spear protruding from his chest. He brought up a hand and pulled it out. No blood came out with it and no wound appeared on his chest. The spear vaporized.

"That's impossible!" Shadow shouted.

Black Doom chuckled. "But I am immortal." Sonic closed his eyes and thought for a moment.

_How can I defeat something that's immortal? _Sonic thought to himself. Suddenly, he got an idea. A steely look came into his eyes. "Chaos Bind!" Sonic shouted, putting as much energy as he could into the Chaos Power. Black Doom froze in place. Sonic touched down and grabbed hold of his arm.

"What are you going to do with him?" Shadow demanded.

"I'm taking him to the center of the sun," Sonic said. "If he's truly immortal, then I can only trap him. And nothing can escape from the sun."

"But you'll die!" Shadow screamed, tears forming in his eyes.

"I will," Sonic said grimly. "But I will die a hero. Tails, I know you have your camera running. I want everyone to know what could have happened and what we did to stop it. I want my Mom, Knuckles, Amy, and everyone else to know that I did my best. Even if I could do this all over again, I would still choose this."

"There has to be another way!" Shadow shouted, tears running freely down his cheeks.

"But there isn't," Sonic said calmly. "You and Silver lost your Chaos Powers. I'm the last hope. And Shadow…"

"Yes," Shadow whispered hoarsely.

"I love you," Sonic whispered. "**_Chaos control!_**" Sonic screamed, putting all of his will, power, and energy into this one final act. In a blinding flash of light, Sonic and Black Doom vanished. Shadow saw a glint of gold fall from where Sonic's hand once was and he swore he heard a small chink as it hit the ground. He numbly walked over and found Sonic's ring on the charred ground, broken in two. He had lost his powers. Shadow sank to the ground and lost all his inhibitions. He cried out loudly, the tears flowing like a river.

Tails and Silver were both crying, but neither could compare to the grief Shadow felt. They brought up their ebony friend and held him tightly. No words were spoken and none could compare to the grief they all felt. Even though Shadow hadn't known Sonic for much more than a week, it felt like a lifetime. His friend, his lover, was gone forever. With a wail Shadow sank to the ground once more, inconsolable.

* * *

><p>Epilogue<p>

Shadow walked numbly forward. It was one week later and he had returned to the place where Sonic had disappeared. Everyone else had visited to put flowers down. It was Sonic's unofficial grave. Shadow was carrying a few flowers and set them down on the spot Sonic had disappeared from. He had been avoiding the place all week. He couldn't deal with the pain, but today, he knew he had to face it. The black hedgehog smiled sadly.

"Hey, Sonic," Shadow said. A tear rolled down his cheek. "I miss you. Everyone misses you. The whole school is actually in mourning. If things hadn't turned out this way, it would have been a lot different. No one believed our story at first, but knowing you, you would have convinced them then and there. We showed them what we found in Eggman's base and the video Tails took. But at first they still thought it was some long prank we were pulling.

"But after seeing us—all of us crying, I think they started to open up. The video would have been hard to fake, but there are still people out there who think it was some grand scheme to get out of classes.

"Knuckles has already moved on. Yes, he was upset for… I think a day, but he now has his eyes elsewhere. Amy was so upset that you were gone. She's still crying and wearing black. Some girlfriend of mine. I guess she always loved you, even though you never loved her. Tails and Silver are doing okay now. They're still together, but wish you could have seen them without worrying about Eggman. And as for me… well… I miss you… I miss your smile, your laugh, that cocky grin you get once in a while. I miss having your arms around me." Shadow stopped to sob loudly. "I just miss you." He sank to the ground, bawling. After a minute, he recovered. He wiped away the tears and stood back up.

"I'm sorry… well, it turned out that Eggman caused my house fire. Figures. But my mom was inside. I was homeless and an orphan. But your Mom saw the feelings we had for each other in the video Tails took. She took me in and said it would be what you would have wanted for me. She didn't care that you were gay. She was just glad that you had found someone to love. Tails' and Silver's moms were so happy that they were okay. But… I'm alone… I lost you. My best friend, my lover…

"I just need you, Sonic," Shadow whispered hoarsely. Shadow felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around. "Sonic..."

* * *

><p><strong>Me: The end.<strong>

**Shadow: That's it?**

**Me: Yes. "Changes" is now officially over.**

**Sonic: So get to writing that sequel you were thinking about!**

**Me: I will try, but I have a busy summer ahead of me.**

**Shadow: Then make time.**

**Me: All right, all right. I'll get to work. Well, I hope you guys have enjoyed this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it! **

**REVIEW!**


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